The Twelve Days of Christmas
by EmyPink
Summary: It is twelve days before Christmas and somebody kidnaps Kelly Gibbs. AU! Written as part of the 2008 NFA Secret Santa Exchange for KGibbs.
1. Chapter 1

**The Twelve Days of Christmas**

By EmyPink

**Disclaimer:** NCIS is not mine; I've just borrowed the characters.

**Rating:** T

**Parings:** Gibbs/Shannon

**Genres:** AU, Drama, Suspense, Angst, Family

**Warnings:** Spoilers for season six's 'Heartland' and any other episodes that mention Shannon or Kelly, also some mild course language

**Summary:** It is twelve days before Christmas and somebody kidnaps Kelly Gibbs.

**A/N** Written as part of NFA's 2008 Secret Santa for KGibbs (Keri).

---

**Chapter One**

"McGee! Have you gotten the coordinates for Lazar's property yet?" Tony asked McGee as he strolled into the bullpen. He stopped in front of McGee's desk.

"Yes, b . . ." McGee started, but trailed off as he looked up and saw that the newcomer was his senior field agent and not his boss.

"Yes, Tony," McGee amended, faintly blushing pink. "Lazar has a property five miles west of DC. I've managed to get some satellite images." McGee pushed a few buttons on his keyboard, and grainy pictures popped up onto the flat screen.

"Good job, McGee." Tony looked pleased. "Gibbs has been breathing down my neck about it."

"Down your neck? What about mine?" McGee grumbled, remembering the glare he'd received when his search results hadn't turned up anything after five minutes.

Tony shrugged. "Same difference." He paused. "What is it about this case that has gotten under Gibbs' skin?"

This time, it was McGee's turn to shrug. "Honestly, no idea. I guess it could have something to do with the victim."

Tony nodded. "Ah, yes. Miss Elizabeth Carey, our dead redhead. I bet she reminds Gibbs of – "

"– Shannon," McGee finished, referring to his boss' wife.

"Yeah," Tony agreed and sighed. "I really hope it doesn't screw up his judgment."

"It won't," McGee replied, confident. "You know Gibbs, ever the professional."

"Most of the time," Tony amended quietly and McGee indicated with his head that he was inclined to agree with Tony.

McGee had just opened his mouth to reply, when the elevator bell chimed and the doors opened widely. McGee and Tony turned to look at the lift, and at first, could not see who had stepped out of its carriage. Then . . .

"Tony!" a little voice squealed as a tiny blur of blue and brown darted around the bullpen divider and latched itself on to Tony's legs. "Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?"

Tony was momentarily shocked, and then, "Hey, Kiddo."

Tony looked down at the eight-year-old wearing a blue top, white tights accompanied by brown riding boots attached to his legs. He grinned widely at Kelly Gibbs' toothless smile.

"You aren't going to make poor uncle Tony guess, are you?" He feigned a look of horror.

Kelly nodded enthusiastically. "You have to _guess_," she pouted, smiling sweetly and batting her large doe eyes.

"Do I have to," Tony whined as McGee rolled his eyes.

"Just guess, DiNozzo," McGee sighed, looking bored.

"Yeah, DiNozzo, just guess," Kelly repeated, trying badly to imitate McGee. She unhooked herself from Tony's legs, took a step back and put her hands on her hips. "Like Timmy said, _guess_!"

McGee winced at Kelly's favoured name for him.

"Kelly," McGee asked slowly, "where's your mum?"

The little girl shrugged. "Coming. She said I could ride the elevator myself." Kelly grinned at being allowed to do such a grown up thing by herself.

Kelly turned her attention back to Tony. "You have to guess, Tony."

Tony sighed, but did not look putout. He loved Kelly, almost as if she were his own. He had joined NCIS when Kelly was just a newborn, so really, he had pretty much grown up with the little girl, just as she had grown up with him, much to Gibbs' displeasure some days.

"Okay, fine," he said, sounding like he should be one of Kelly's peers and not an adult. "You passed a test?"

Kelly shook her head. "Nah. That's _boring_. Think of something fun."

"Yeah, Tony, think of something _fun_," McGee smirked from his desk.

"I don't see you trying, McGeekster," Tony grumbled, shooting him an annoyed look.

McGee looked thoughtful. "A new toy?"

"Kinda," Kelly grinned, looking excited.

"A book, then," Tony offered.

"That's not a toy," Kelly replied, frowning as if it was the most common piece of knowledge in the universe.

"Then I give up," Tony retorted.

Kelly pouted. "You can't give up. That's no fun."

"Oh, I assure you it's very fun," Tony mused as Kelly glared at him.

"I think she's perfected her Gibbs, Tony," McGee laughed from his desk, watching as Gibbs' daughter glared at Tony in the same manner as her father did.

The elevator chimed again and a few moments later, a lilting female voice wafted through, saying, "Kelly Ann Gibbs, I hope you aren't disturbing the agents."

"They won't guess, mum," Kelly complained.

"What did I tell you, Kel," Shannon Gibbs laughed, walking gracefully into the bullpen. She smiled at the two agents. "She's not disrupting you, then."

Tony shook his head. "Not at all. I always welcome visits from my favourite little girl."

"I'm not little," Kelly announced, annoyed. "I'm eight and four months."

"I stand corrected," Tony announced with a grin and Kelly replied with another toothless smile.

"But you still have to . . ."

Shannon cut off Kelly. "You wouldn't happen to know where Jethro is, would you?" she asked, flicking her eyes back and forth between the two agents. She looked slightly irritated.

Tony nodded. "He's down in Abby's lab with Ziva . . . something about ketchup on this case we're working."

"Oh." Shannon's look of irritation grew. "Do you know how long he'll be?"

McGee shrugged. "He should be back soon, Mrs. Gibbs."

Shannon looked slightly less irritated as she heard McGee's comment. "How many times have I told you that you to call me Shannon, Tim?" she asked, looking amused. "Mrs. Gibbs makes me feel, well, old."

"But you are old, mum," Kelly stated.

"If you want McDonald's for dinner tonight, Miss Kelly, I'd watch what you say," Shannon countered, looking sternly at her daughter, but not really meaning it.

Kelly frowned. "But you . . ."

"So, anyway, Gibbs," Tony cut Kelly off by clamping a hand over the girl's mouth. "I am sure he'll be back soon, just as Probie said."

"Who will be back soon?" Gibbs asked, strolling into the bullpen. Ziva followed him. He looked over at Tony. "And why are you manhandling my daughter, DiNozzo?"

Tony's eyes grew wide and he uncovered Kelly's mouth. Immediately, she exclaimed, "Daddy!" She pulled away from Tony and rushed into her father's embrace.

"Hey, Kelly-Belle," Gibbs said, using his special nickname for his daughter; courtesy of Kelly's favourite movie "The Beauty and the Beast". He bent down to hug her.

"Daddy!" Kelly repeated and flung her arms around his neck. "Tell mummy she's _old_."

Gibbs smirked. "Mummy's old, is she?"

"Don't you dare, Jethro," Shannon warned, good-natured.

"Never with you, Shan." Gibbs stood up and made a move to kiss Shannon briefly on the lips. "You're not old."

"I should hope not," Shannon said firmly, "or you'll be sleeping on the couch."

"Can't have that, can we?" Gibbs smiled, looking at Kelly. She giggled.

Gibbs turned to McGee. "You got the location of Lazar's property." He failed to notice Shannon's immediate and obvious annoyance.

"Yes, boss," McGee confirmed, "five miles west of DC."

Gibbs nodded. "Good. Grab your gear; we'll hit it this evening." He turned back to his family. "Did you need something?"

Shannon looked furious. "You've forgotten, haven't you," she burst out.

"Forgotten?"

"It's parent-teacher interview night," Kelly supplied innocently.

A look of recognition passed across Gibbs' faces. "That's . . ."

"This evening, yes," Shannon finished, coolly.

Gibbs looked slightly upset. "Shannon . . ."

"Don't, Jethro, just don't," she sighed, looking weary. "Just go."

"Shannon . . ." Gibbs tried again. "I'm . . ."

"No, Jethro. No," Shannon said bitterly. "How many times did I remind you? I reminded you this morning, for God's sake."

"This case . . ." Gibbs tried to explain. "It's our chance to finally catching this guy."

"Good on you," Shannon said sarcastically, and then added, "It's always about the cases," Shannon snapped. She turned abruptly to her daughter.

"Kel, we're going," she ordered sharply.

"But daddy . . ."

"We are going, Kelly," Shannon repeated firmly. "Now."

"No," Kelly refused stubbornly.

"Yes, you are coming with me," Shannon said firmly, taking Kelly's arm.

"I want daddy!" Kelly shrieked and pouted, on the verge of a temper tantrum. "Daddy's meant to come."

"Your father is busy," Shannon said bitterly, making a move to leave the bullpen and dragging an uncooperative Kelly with her.

"Shan . . ."

"Go raid your house, Jethro," Shannon sighed, turning back to her husband and his team.

"We can go ourselves," Ziva supplied, hoping to defuse the awkward situation. "I am sure we are capable of conducting the raid ourselves." Tony and McGee nodded enthusiastically.

"No need," Shannon answered for Gibbs. "Go with your team, Jethro," she added softly.

"But . . ."

"Just go," Shannon said curtly. She turned and pulled Kelly over to the elevator.

"Mummy . . ."

"Be quiet, Kel," Shannon snapped and then noticed her daughter's face. "Sorry, baby. I'm not angry with you."

"Why does daddy always work?" Kelly asked tearfully as the doors to the elevator opened.

"It's his job, sweetheart," Shannon replied softly, pushing Kelly into the elevator.

"That's sucks," Kelly announced, hands on her hips.

"Language, Kelly Ann," Shannon chided lightly, "but yes, it does suck sometimes."

As the elevator doors closed, Shannon shot Gibbs one last look and saw that he was ordering his team, ever the professional agent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Why can't daddy come?" Kelly whined for the fifth time as they approached their sedan.

Shannon sighed. "I've already told you; he's working." Sometimes eight-year-old children could be very repetitive.

"Couldn't he take time off, like you do when I'm sick, mummy?" Kelly inquired.

"That's different, Kel," Shannon replied gently as she pulled her keys out of her pocket and clicked the automatic button twice. Her car lights flashed.

"How?"

"Daddy's job is very important," Shannon answered. Kelly was unable to detect the bitterness in her voice.

"But he's never there," Kelly said, frowning. "He missed my recital last month."

"He was . . ." Shannon started and sighed. It always came down to work. ". . . he was working."

"Abby came," Kelly said as Shannon opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a dark blue jacket.

"Put this on, Kel. It's cold," Shannon ordered, handing the child-sized jacket to Kelly.

Kelly looked like she was about to protest, but one look from her mother forced her to slip the jacket over her shoulders and zip it up. She continued, "Abby came to my recital, but daddy didn't."

"Abby wasn't working," Shannon replied. Shannon had always held a tiny bit of resentment towards the gothic forensic scientist, noting how well she and her husband got on. Kelly, however, thought the sun shone from Abby and practically worshipped the girl.

"Just get in the car," Shannon said wearily, opening the backdoor and ushering Kelly into the car.

She watched as Kelly buckled her belt and then slipped into the driver's seat. Shannon pulled out of the parking space and drove towards the exit gate, waving at the security guard who acknowledged her with a nod and a "see ya later, Mrs. Gibbs."

Just as Shannon turned right onto the road, Kelly said, "Why can't daddy come?"

Shannon sighed; it was going to be a long trip to Kelly's elementary school.

---

After five minutes, Kelly finally gave up on asking why her father wasn't accompanying them to parent-teacher interview night and had instead turned to her current favourite topic, Christmas.

"It's twelve days till Christmas," Kelly announced proudly. "We have a countdown chart in class. Mummy?"

"Yes, sweetheart," Shannon answered, looking at her daughter in the rear-view mirror.

"When can we visit Santa?"

Shannon laughed. "We visited Santa over the weekend, Kel. Remember, you asked for the new PlayStation game."

"I know that, mum," Kelly said, drawing out the syllables, "but I want to visit the real Santa at the North Pole, not the fake one," she finished as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Shannon laughed again. "Sorry, Kel. I don't think that Santa's workshop is open to the public."

Kelly pouted from the backseat. "Well, it should be. Maybe daddy can get a warrant and make Santa open it."

Shannon shook her head in amusement. "I think Legal has better things to do with their time than serve warrants to Father Christmas."

"But we could all go," Kelly tried hopefully.

"Not this year, Kel," Shannon grinned. "Maybe next year."

Kelly fell silent, and then said, "Mummy . . ."

"Yes, Kelly," Shannon replied, exasperated.

"Why is that car following us?" she asked innocently.

"What?!" Shannon's eyes immediately flew to the rear-view mirror. She looked slightly worried. "Are you sure you aren't imagining things, sweetheart?"

Kelly shook her head. "Uh-uh. I remember the car 'cause it has a horsey sticker on its front. It turned the corner back there with us and then moved lanes when you did, mummy."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Kelly nodded again. "Yep. It's a creepy, follow-y car."

"Okay, okay," Shannon muttered, keeping her worry in check. It was probably nothing and Kelly was perceiving something that was totally innocent, but . . .

"Kelly, I want you to call daddy." Shannon thrust her cell phone in to her daughter's lap.

"Daddy?" Kelly repeated dumbly.

"Yep, call dad," Shannon said, distracted as she tested Kelly's theory and switched lanes. The dark car behind them followed.

"Mummy," Kelly piped up, "dad's not answering."

Shannon swore as the dark car overtook the one in front of it, and was now only one car away. Kelly started to look a little frightened.

"Try Tony," Shannon suggested hurriedly, "or McGee, or Ziva." Shannon speed up a little.

"Okay, mum . . ." But Kelly was cut off as something hard and fast rammed their sedan from behind, jerking them forwards.

Shannon gasped as Kelly shrieked, "Mummy!?!"

"It's okay, Kelly-Belle," Shannon soothed her daughter as her heart rate increased. The car slammed into the back of the sedan again, throwing them forwards.

Kelly burst into tears and wailed, "Mummy!"

"Shh, Kel, it's okay," Shannon repeated, trying to sound reassuring, but failed. In actual fact, she was all but ready to join her daughter.

"Call Tony! McGee! Anyone," she barked as the dark car dented their bumper bar.

"I dropped the phone!" Kelly cried, fully in tears. "Mummy!"

"That's it," Shannon said to herself. No one made her daughter cry. She jerked the car to the right, pulling them sharply onto the first side road she came across.

Kelly screamed and whimpered, and Shannon breathed heavily as she pressed down on the pedal. She'd seen cop movies and Jethro do it, but had never needed to try it herself. Unfortunately, it seemed as if their pursuers were also cop movie fans as they were steadily gaining on them.

---

Shannon thundered down the nearly abandoned road, channelling her inner Gibbs. They had once, as a dare, taken a crash course in race car driving when they had been younger, before NCIS and Kelly. Gibbs, surprisingly, had not been fantastic at it; Shannon had been better. But Gibbs had enjoyed it so much more than Shannon, who had refused to do it ever again.

Until now.

She tried to block out her child's cries from the backseat, and instead concentrated on not rolling her car. Shannon glanced in the rear-view mirror and wished she hadn't as she could see that the car was right on their tail. Shannon cursed angrily to herself, ever aware that an impressionable young girl was sitting in the backseat.

Their car flew forward as the dark one pushed at the bumper bar of the sedan. Shannon barely managed to keep the car straight, spinning the steering wheel frantically to keep the car from spinning off the road.

The dark car rammed then sedan again, propelling Shannon forward, with the steering wheel painfully hitting her in the chest. Kelly screamed from the backseat.

This time, Shannon was unable to control the vehicle as the pursuer's car delivered one final blow. Her sedan spun out of control, completing about four three-sixties before coming to a sideways halt on the dusty road.

Shannon took a moment to regain her bearings, very aware that Kelly was sobbing in the backseat. Her cry of "mummy" sprung Shannon into action. They had two choices; run or try to get the car moving again.

"Kelly," she said soothingly, "I'm gonna lock your door, honey. And I want you to get down and cover your head." Kelly nodded tearfully as Shannon flicked the switch that automatically locked the car doors.

She attempted to press down on the accelerator and manoeuvre the car into a forwards position, but screamed as a hand slammed itself against her window. Kelly started to sob louder. Shannon tried again, but failed.

There was a sound of shattering glass and Shannon looked behind her to see her precious baby covered on shards of glass. A hand was reaching in to pull open the door. Then, it was yanked open and someone jerked Kelly from her seat.

"Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!" Kelly screamed hysterically as the man (at least Shannon assumed was a man under the ski mask) dragged her from the car. "Let go of me!" she yelled at the kidnappers.

"Kelly!" Shannon yelled, rapidly pushing her own car door and flinging it open, knocking the man who had been standing next to it to the ground. She scrambled out the door.

"Let her go!" she yelled angrily. "Give me back my daughter. My husband is a Federal Agent!"

"Oh, we know, Mrs. Gibbs," a man said in a dark voice from under a ski mask as Shannon watched Kelly elbowed the man dragging her in the stomach, making him let go.

"Kelly, run!" Shannon yelled at her daughter, and Kelly took off. Suddenly, someone had an arm around her torso and a gun was pressed to her head.

"Stupid move, Mrs. Gibbs," a voice hissed.

"I don't care," Shannon replied angrily, though she could feel herself trembling.

Kelly screamed and Shannon twisted herself in the man's grip to look in the direction of Kelly's voice. She had managed to get a little way away from the men, but the one that she had elbowed had caught up with her and was pulling her along with a murderous look in his eyes.

"Let her go!" Shannon repeated, her voice dripping with anger.

"No can do, Mrs. Gibbs."

Shannon watched as the man dragged Kelly uncooperatively to their car. Shannon felt a little stab of pride as she noted that Kelly was not going quietly, no matter how scared Shannon could see that she was. Kelly stubbornly dug her heels into the ground, making it harder for the men to drag her. She also twisted in their grip, and Shannon was finally grateful for the self-defense lessons Jethro had ordered Ziva to give their daughter.

"Let go, you stupid man," Kelly yelled as one of the men picked her up and although struggling, shoved the little girl into the car. "Mummy!" she cried.

"Kelly!" Shannon screamed as she watched her daughter helplessly. "Give her back, you bastard," Shannon spat. "My husband will not let you get away with this." She gave the man a murderous look.

"I should hope not," the man said pleasantly. "Now, if you would be so kind . . ." As the man who'd forced Kelly into the car slammed the door shut, the man restraining Shannon raised the gun and brought it down heavily on her head.

Immediately, Shannon crumpled to the ground, unmoving. The man glanced at her for a moment, before putting the gun in to his coat and sidestepped the unconscious woman. He followed his colleagues into the dark car and they drove off, leaving the abandoned sedan and Shannon behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Well, that was a big, fat waste of time," Tony complained as he stripped off his Kevlar vest. "Nice going, Probie." He was walking back to the car with McGee next to him and Ziva trailing behind.

McGee shrugged. "We weren't to know that Lazar doesn't keep the documents in his _state-of-the-art security protected mansion_," he muttered, annoyed. "I was just doing as Gibbs asked."

"Maybe, Probie," Tony started, "you could have checked beforehand that the _documents were actually there_," he countered, wrinkling his nose.

"And how, Tony, do you suppose I would have done that?" McGee snapped. "As I said, _state-of-the-art security protected mansion_."

"Oh, will you two just shut up," Ziva huffed. "You are acting like spoilt children."

"No one asked you, Zee-vah," Tony retorted.

"Fine." Ziva rolled her eyes. "Let Gibbs catch you arguing. He is already in a witchy mood."

"The term is bitchy, and it's not my fault he forgot parent-teacher interview," Tony sniped, opening the car boot and chucking the Kevlar into it.

"I never said that," Ziva snapped, irritated. She ripped off her own vest and dumped it into the boot.

"Guys . . ." McGee tried to pacify.

Simultaneously, Tony and Ziva turned on him and glared. "Butt out, McGeek," Tony commanded. As they both turned to look at one another, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"And you say Tony and I am acting like spoilt children," McGee retorted bitterly, carefully extracting himself from his bulletproof vest.

"I think you're _all_ spoilt children," a voice barked from behind them. "Sometimes I think Kelly and Maddie have more sense than you lot."

Tony and Ziva forgot one another as they and McGee turned slowly to see Gibbs' thundering face behind them. They winced. Gibbs said nothing as he moved swiftly past the three of them and yanked open the driver's door and climbed in, gunning the engine. His subordinates shot each other a look before scrambling into the car and the second the final door was slammed, Gibbs took off at a frightening speed.

---

The ride back to NCIS headquarters was silent, as was the trip in the elevator from the car park to the bullpen. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Gibbs stormed out and marched into their office, looking murderous.

"McGee!" he barked as he walked behind his desk and deposited his bag. "I want every single bit of electronic whatsit on Lazar. DiNozzo! I want you to find every single person associated with Lazar. I want his fifth grade teacher in my interrogation room in half an hour! David! I want to know when this shipment is coming. I don't care how you do it, just get the time and place!" He glared at his team before stalking out of the bullpen.

"Someone's a bit tetchy today," Tony commented lightly.

"I heard that, DiNozzo," Gibbs called from the elevator.

"Sorry, boss, didn't mean you," Tony replied and winced as he head slapped himself. "You heard the man, get to it." He pointed at Ziva and McGee.

Ziva shot Tony an annoyed look, but settled down behind her desk. McGee mirrored her actions and booted up his computer.

"How am I meant to track down _everyone_ ever associated with Lazar?" Tony complained from his desk. "I . . ."

He was cut off by the voice of the Director, Leon Vance. "Where's Gibbs?" he asked curtly.

Tony nodded in the direction of the lift and blinked when Gibbs wasn't there. "He was . . ."

"What brings you here, Leon?" Gibbs asked, making Tony jump.

"Don't sneak up on us like that, boss," Tony muttered, but a glare from Gibbs silenced him.

"I need to talk to you," Vance replied. "Alone."

"I am a bit busy, if you couldn't see," Gibbs answered sarcastically. "After all, this is _your_ operation."

"Noted," Vance nodded, but then looked at Gibbs strangely, almost hesitantly. "But it's not about the case . . . It's about your wife . . ." Vance, for the first time, looked a little nervous.

"Shannon? What about her?" Gibbs asked, expertly concealing his worry.

"I think it would be best if we went somewhere quieter," Vance repeated.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it here," Gibbs snapped and Vance sighed.

"There has been an . . . incident," Vance started carefully. He paused.

"Care to elaborate?" Gibbs asked coolly, as Tony, McGee and Ziva tried to look busy with their work.

"Shannon's been taken to Bethesda," Vance said quietly.

"What?!" Gibbs skilfully managed to mask most of his fear at Vance's words, but he still looked worried.

"She was found unconscious with an abandoned car, which I presume is yours," Vance said sympathetically.

"And Kelly?" Gibbs asked stiffly, his mind full of terrible thoughts.

"Nowhere to be found," Vance sighed. "I am sorry, Jethro. It looks as though whoever attacked Shannon took Kelly with them . . ."

Tony, McGee and Ziva shot each other concerned looks as Gibbs turned abruptly, face void of emotion.

"Boss, I . . ." Tony was at a loss as to what he should say.

At the same time, Vance said, "Gibbs . . ."

Gibbs turned to face them. "I am going to Bethesda to see my wife," he announced in a deadly calm voice.

Vance nodded. "Rightly so. We'll coordinate things from here."

Gibbs said nothing as he walked over to the elevator and jabbed the call button harshly. He was reeling. Someone had attacked his wife and taken his daughter. _His wife and daughter._ Maybe if he hadn't been so caught up in the stupid case, he might have been with them and could have protected them.

Gibbs felt the panic rise. He tried to keep them safe, tried with everything he had to stop his cases following him home. But now, he had failed to protect them, all because of a stupid fight. He should have gone with them to Kelly's parent-teacher interview, and allowed Tony and the others to conduct the raid themselves.

He cursed himself, and then the men who had attacked his family. They would pay, he vowed. No one hurt his family without facing the repercussions. But as the elevator chimed and Gibbs stepped inside, he could not ignore the lingering voice in his head . . .

_This is your fault. You failed them._

---

Shannon stared at the stark white walls. She was in an unflattering hospital gown in Bethesda's emergency room. Her head throbbed, but other than concussion and a nasty bump, the doctor had summarized that she was fine. Now, all she really wanted was Jethro, and had made this very loud and clear to the nurses.

"I hope you brought my husband with you," Shannon snapped as a uniformed nurse stepped into her room.

The nurse opened her mouth to reply, but a familiar voice cut her off.

"Shan?"

The little resolve Shannon had left fell as she heard her husband's voice. "Jethro," she whimpered, sounding needy.

Ignoring the nurse, Gibbs stepped around her, strode determinately to Shannon's bed and enveloped her in his arms. Shannon buried her face in his shoulder as he stroked her hair.

"They took Kelly," Shannon murmured into Gibbs' shoulder. "They took our baby." Shannon's voice broke and tears started to trickle down her face.

"I know," Gibbs whispered, kissing the top of her vivid red hair. "I know. And I promise that I'll get whoever took Kel. I promise."

Shannon nodded against Gibbs' shoulder. "I want her back," she sobbed.

"So do I, Shan," Gibbs said and felt the tears prickling in the back of his eyes. He ordered them away sharply. He needed to remain strong for Shannon and Kelly. It was no use him breaking down; Shannon needed him.

"I'm sorry," Shannon whispered, suddenly. "I am so, so sorry."

"What? Why?" Gibbs was rather shocked. He pulled away from Shannon, held her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Because I couldn't protect her." Shannon started to sob harder, and her breaths came out in strangled gasps.

"Shhh, shhh," Gibbs soothed, stroking her hair. "It wasn't your fault."

"But it is," Shannon wailed, shaking her head wildly. "I-I just stood there while they took my baby from me. And Kelly, she fought back; like Ziva taught her."

Shannon buried her face in her hands and continued, voice muffled, "I should have never . . ." Shannon trailed off hysterically.

"Never what, Shan?" Gibbs asked softly. "It wasn't your fault; it's the bastards that took her. And she's a fighter. We know that. I'll get her back for you, I promise."

"What if you don't?" Shannon whimpered. Her shoulders started to shake under Gibbs' strong hands as she began to cry more. "What if . . ."

"You have to stay positive," Gibbs said strongly, holding his wife close as he let her cry. "We have to stay positive. I promised I'll get the bastards and they will pay, and I will bring Kelly home."

Shannon nodded and sniffed as she wiped the tears away from her face. Gibbs gathered her into another embrace. "Bring my baby home, Jethro. Bring Kelly back."

---

The NCIS truck came to a halt in front of Shannon's abandoned sedan. Quickly, three agents exited the car, silent. They paused, surveying the scene, as though they almost couldn't believe what had happened on this quiet back street. Then . . .

"Probie, bag and tag. Ziva, shoot and sketch," Tony ordered softly, taking command as he had when Gibbs and his family had run off to Mexico. "I am going to liaise with the locals."

Ziva and McGee nodded silently; for once, there was no resistance from the pair. Silently, McGee handed Ziva the digital camera and carefully extracted evidence bags from the back of the van. He tossed her a pair of gloves before slipping on a pair himself.

Together, Ziva and McGee made their way over to the broken sedan. Abruptly, McGee turned and spoke to Ziva, saying quietly, "Why would anyone want to abduct Kelly?" He looked upset.

"Why do you think, McGee?" Ziva snapped coolly, flicking the camera switch harder than necessary.

"Gibbs is a high ranking agent with enemies. The reasons could range from revenge to hostage negotiations. Take your pick," she huffed impatiently as she pushed past McGee without another word and stomped over to the crime scene.

"Ziva . . ." McGee called after her, but she ignored him.

"Just leave her, Probie," Tony said quietly, placing a hand on McGee's shoulder, making him jump. "Let our friendly neighbourhood ninja do her thing alone, less mess that way," he joked and smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"But . . ."

"Just bag and tag, McGee," Tony sighed, shaking his head. "The quicker we can get through the evidence, the quicker we can get onto finding the people that took Kelly and attacked Shannon."

"Tony . . ."

"Just do it, McGee!" Tony exclaimed, bristling slightly, and then added with a sigh, "Please."

McGee nodded. "Bagging and tagging, boss." He winced at his words. "Sorry."

Tony clasped McGee on the back. "You can call me 'boss' anytime, McGeek," he grinned.

McGee rolled his eyes. "Not while Gibbs is around to kick your butt," he smiled.

Tony shot him a pseudo look of annoyance and then scurried off to liaise with the metro cops who had happened upon the scene in front of them.

"What have you got . . ." Tony started as McGee and Ziva worked in the background.

"Well," the metro cop replied, "we got a call at oh-eighteen-hundred hours . . ."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"What have we got?" Gibbs barked as he strode determinately into the bullpen an hour later, coffee in hand.

Immediately, McGee, Tony and Ziva sprung up from their desks and converged on their boss, with Ziva clutching a handful of papers and McGee carrying the remote for the plasmas.

"How's Shannon, boss?" Tony asked as he reached Gibbs, asking the question they all wanted to know the answer to.

"Fine," Gibbs replied curtly. "She's fine. Where are we on the case?"

His three team members shot each other worried looks, before Ziva nudged McGee forward. He sighed, and said hesitantly, "Um, boss, are you sure it's a good idea to, you know, work the case. I mean the regulations state . . ."

"Does it look like I care about some stupid regs?" Gibbs snapped and then repeated, "Where are we on the case?"

"Agent McGee is right, Gibbs," Vance interjected, his voice projecting from the stairs. "Regulations say . . ." He walked into the bullpen.

"You have kids, Leon," Gibbs said, coolly.

"You know I do, Jethro," Vance replied pleasantly.

Gibbs gave him a withering look and said plainly, "It if it were your kids taken, what would you do?"

"But it is not," Vance replied calmly. "And in such an event, I would remove myself from the case and leave it up to my highly capable team."

Gibbs looked disbelieving. "I have a hard time believing that, Leon."

Vance nodded. "Quite; which is why I would remove myself from the case and leave it up to my highly capable team." Vance looked pointedly at Gibbs, then at his team.

"There is no way you are working this _officially_, Jethro. And technically, neither should any of your team, but I am willing to make an exception in the best interests of the child."

Gibbs nodded, then turned to his team and said, "As of now, I am no longer working the case." He turned abruptly and headed to his desk. He sat down and pulled out a pile of backlogged paperwork.

His team stared dumbly at him.

"Uh, boss, but what about . . ." McGee started nervously, but a sharp jab in the ribs by Tony cut him off mid-sentence.

"Don't you get it, Probie, he's _not working the case_," he hissed, stressing the last four words.

"Oh. Oh!" McGee finally got it. "But isn't that against . . ."

"As far as I am concerned, this conversation never happened," Vance said, nodding to each agent in turn. "Now, I have a conference with the SecNav. I am sure I can leave it in _your_ capable hands."

He nodded at Gibbs. "Gibbs, if you need _anything_, I am sure I can get it cleared."

Gibbs gestured with his head and Vance took that as the signal to leave. He turned gracefully and made his way up to MTAC, leaving the four agents to get started on the case.

---

"Okay," Tony started, again taking control. He looked at his notes. "According to the LEOs, their call centre received an anonymous tipoff stating that there had been an "accident" on Fromelane Road at oh-eighteen-hundred hours, thirty minutes before we got the call," he continued, making air quotations around the word 'accident'.

"When they arrived," McGee continued, clicking a button on the remote and pulling pictures of the crime scene onto the plasma, "they found this; the damaged sedan and an unconscious female, later identified as Shannon Gibbs. Her daughter Kelly was nowhere to be found." He paused and looked to the ground, unable or unwilling to go on.

"There had been signs of a struggle," Ziva took over swiftly. "Broken glass in the right side passenger seat and a dented bumper bar. Not to mention the attack on Shannon."

"The LEOs concluded that Kelly had been snatched, realised that Shannon was the wife of an NCIS agent and then called us," Tony rounded off, finishing their quick rundown. "Now the question is suspects. Any ideas on whom?"

Ziva sighed. "I think the question is _where to start_."

"Lazar," Gibbs stated from his desk without looking up.

Tony looked thoughtful. "I guess, but isn't that rather premature . . ."

"We've been after this guy for three months, Tony," McGee piped up. "That's probably enough time to organize something."

"Still, the question is _why_," Tony stressed.

"Do you really need to ask that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped from his desk, scribbling something on the file he was holding.

"Gibbs is correct, Tony," Ziva said reasonably. "We have been after Lazar for months and are near a breakthrough in the case. It is highly likely that he abducted Kelly to use as leverage for information or perhaps a lighter sentence."

"I just think we shouldn't be putting all our eggs in one basket," Tony argued and Ziva shook her head.

"I am not saying that," Ziva replied, testily. "I am merely agreeing with Gibbs and McGee in saying that Lazar is a good starting position. I am definitely not saying we should not concentrate on other criminals."

"What happened to rule number three?" Tony looked at them all for a second. "Don't assume. Always double check!"

"You're right, Tony," Gibbs replied, glaring at him. "But Ziva's right this time. The bastard would be the only one interested!"

"And you know that how?" Tony shot back, kicking himself for opening his mouth.

"I don't," Gibbs snapped. "But I have a feeling."

"Your famous gut," Tony said, almost bitterly.

"You have a problem with that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs stared at Tony.

"No," Tony muttered, looking away.

"Good."

There was an awkward silence so Tony sighed and broke it.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Tony muttered and then said, louder, "In that case . . . Probie! I want you on Lazar's case. Find anything. Transactions, possible hideouts, whatever. Ziva! I want you to go through Gibbs' case files and compile a list of potential suspects."

Ziva looked annoyed. "Do you know how long that will take?" She screwed up her nose.

"Then you'd better get started," Tony suggested. "Time's a-ticking, people."

"What are you going to do, Tony?" McGee asked as he pulled up various browsers on his screen.

"I, Probie," Tony announced grandly, "am going to talk to a few _old friends_ of mine." He clapped his hands.

"Get to it," he ordered, picking up his backpack and strolling out of the bullpen, calling back, "And I want see results when I return!"

---

Two hours later, Gibbs was still sitting quietly at his desk as Tony wandered back into the bullpen with a grumpy look on his face. He sauntered over to his desk and sat down heavily.

McGee and Ziva looked up at him. "Things did not go as planned?" Ziva questioned.

"You could say that," Tony huffed and refused to say anymore on the matter, earning a smirk from Ziva.

"Well, while you were calling in on _old friends_, McGee and I were doing some _real work_," she said lightly, stepping out from behind her desk and thumping a file down in front of him. "A list, as you ordered. Possible kidnapping suspects."

"Already?" Tony looked impressed.

"Well . . ." Ziva started, almost looking sheepish.

"Why go through the files when you can just ask, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said gruffly from his desk, still scratching away at the files.

Ziva smiled sweetly at him as Tony felt like sticking out his tongue. "Well, whatever," he grumbled. "As long as you have a list, I don't care where you got it." He turned to McGee.

"How's my favourite Probie going?" he asked.

McGee stood up and clicked to life the plasma. "Lazar has four properties in remote locations that would be ideally suited for holding someone against their will. They are secluded with only one access point; anyone going in and out could be monitored."

He sighed. "Other than that, not much really. There have been no phone calls, nor transactions from any of his bank accounts, included the off-shore ones."

Tony looked irritated. "So we've basically got nothing. Since when did drug dealers get so smart?" he muttered.

"Since they decided that Lazar would be the perfect person to supply Washington with its much needed quota of drugs," Ziva said bitterly. "When I get my hands . . ."

"Yeah, well, get in line," Tony said darkly. This was Kelly they were talking about. "Not that I am saying that Lazar has Kel, mind you."

"It's a pretty big coincidence," McGee spoke up.

"We don't believe in coincidences," Tony retorted.

"Exactly," McGee replied.

"Oh, stop it, you two," Ziva muttered from her desk.

"We're not doing anything," Tony defended, looking put out.

"Well, it is not doing anything to get us closer to finding Kelly," Ziva shot back.

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Tony snapped.

"Not mine, I did work," Ziva sniped, "while someone was off wasting his time."

"I did not waste my time," Tony said angrily.

"Oh, and what do you have to show for two hours? Nothing," Ziva retorted lightly.

"At least I did make some headway with Lazar," McGee offered, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Barely, you got us a few houses, Probie, big deal. How likely is it that Lazar would hold Kelly there when he would know we would find it?" Tony replied harshly.

"You were the one who ordered me to look them up!" McGee exclaimed, looking annoyed. "And I thought you didn't think Lazar had Kelly!"

"I never said that!" Tony shouted across the bullpen. "Stop twisting my words?"

"Twisting your words?!" Ziva started, loudly. "Since when . . ."

"Hey!" Gibbs voice echoed around the bullpen. "All of you, where is this leading?!" Gibbs roared from his desk, slamming his fist into the surface of it. Tony, Ziva and McGee jumped and immediately fell silent.

"If anyone," Gibbs started in a low voice, "should get angry, it should be me." He paused and glared fiercely at his team.

"Perhaps Director Vance was right, he should pass this case onto a team that is capable of running a smooth investigation," Gibbs continued, raising his voice with each syllable. "Because by the looks of you idiots, you can't do anything without shouting today and we don't need that, not now."

"Boss, I . . ."

"Boss, we . . ."

"Gibbs . . ."

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't want to know. Either cut the crap and start working as a team, or I'll get Vance to pull every one of you off the case. Do I make myself clear?" When Gibbs didn't get an immediate reply, he yelled, "Do I make myself clear!?!" Immediately . . .

"Yes, boss."

"Sorry, boss."

"Of course, Gibbs."

"Good," Gibbs snapped and nodded. "Get back to work and find my daughter, or you really will be sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Forty-eight hours passed and there had been no sign of contact from the people who had taken Kelly and attacked Shannon. Still, the team worked diligently, investigating every lead with renewed vigour in the hopes that it would lead to their little girl. It was mid-afternoon when McGee looked up.

"Boss," McGee started slowly. He looked hesitant as he typed away at his computer "We've, uh, receiving an incoming transmission from an unknown source . . ." Gibbs, Tony and Ziva immediately looked at McGee with curious concern.

"Put it on the plasma, Probie," Tony ordered, since Gibbs was _not_ part of the investigation.

"Right, yes." McGee fumbled for a moment, prompting an eye roll from Tony, but a few seconds later, an audio message appeared on the screen.

"Play it, McGee," Gibbs ordered, rising from his desk and walking over to where McGee, Tony and Ziva had gathered in front of the plasma. "And trance it."

"I can try," McGee replied obediently, "but I can't guarantee anything. It is likely that he would be using some kind of re-router . . ."

"Just do it, McGee," Gibbs snapped and McGee hurried back to his computer and fiddled with a couple of functions before nodding.

"Ready to trace," McGee confirmed.

"Put it through," Gibbs ordered and the team braced themselves.

Straightaway, a low male voice filtered through the plasma, saying, "Agent Gibbs, we have you your daughter . . ."

Instantly, Tony noticed that Gibbs was ready to spit something back at the kidnappers, so he reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his wrist, restraining him from exploding. Gibbs gave him a slight look, and said nothing.

". . . and we would like to propose a trade," the voice finished.

"We require proof of life," Ziva snapped, while Tony and McGee stood there in slight shock, not sure how to react.

"As you wish, Officer David," the voice replied, and Ziva stiffened at the mention of her name.

Suddenly, a little voice squealed, "Daddy?"

This time, even Tony couldn't keep Gibbs from saying, "Kel?"

"Daddy!" Kelly repeated and then burst into tears. "Daddy, I want to come home. I want mummy. I'm scared; I don't like it here."

Kelly's pleas broke the hearts of the NCIS team and turned Gibbs' growing fury into rage. Unable to contain himself, Gibbs exploded, yelling, "You bastard! Give me back my daughter, or you will regret it! I swear if you even lay one hand . . ."

"Boss," Tony tried to shush, but Gibbs shot him a fierce glare that forced him to back off, arms raised in the surrendering position.

". . . Lay one hand on her and I will rip you apart!" Gibbs continued to yell; his face red, fired and flushed. "I . . ."

Unable to take it anymore, Ziva, being the bravest (or perhaps most foolish) and the one not as overcome by the situation, dragged him away from the plasma and out of the bullpen. She dragged him behind the stairs and pushed him against the wall, pressing her body against his. One of her arms was pressed against the wall, the other was across Gibbs' chest.

"You are not helping the situation," she hissed in a low voice, looking angry. "Your yelling only serves to antagonise the kidnappers more and could, perhaps, lead them to do something foolish."

Gibbs opened his mouth to retort, but Ziva silenced him with a particularly good imitation of his own glare.

"I know what you are going through," Ziva said through clenched teeth, and when Gibbs looked as though he didn't believe her, she snapped, "I _know_ what you are going through." She stared intently at him, their eyes connecting.

"And I know that this is not the best way to solve the problem," she finished quietly, almost kinder. "I know because I have been there. All the yelling and screaming in the world will not save the ones we love; we have to take action and perhaps do what others might frown upon, but that is the risk we take for family." Ziva gazed at Gibbs with a look of understanding.

Then, Gibbs nodded slowly and Ziva relaxed her grip, almost embarrassed. "Sorry," she murmured, realising that she had all but attacked her boss.

"Don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness," Gibbs quoted softly. "But thank you." He took Ziva's hand in his own and squeezed it gently. "I needed that. I lost control, didn't I?"

Ziva nodded. "Yes, you did. But one cannot blame you. I have, as you say, lost control many times and in my experience, it is a waste of energy. We should concentrate on getting Kelly, nothing more," she said, smiling lightly at Gibbs.

"You're right," Gibbs agreed, calmed. He let Ziva's hand drop loosely to her side and smiled at her. "Thank you," he repeated.

"My pleasure," Ziva said quietly, giving him a genuine smile. "Do you think you can go back without trying to . . . to . . ." Ziva searched for the right words, wringing her hands.

"Erupt like Pompeii?" Gibbs suggested lightly, with a grin.

"Yes, I suppose. Something like that," Ziva said, laughing softly. Her laughter died down and she said seriously, with conviction, "We will get her back, Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "I know." Neither one of them wanted to think about the fact that while they might get the little girl back, she might not be alive.

This time, Ziva was the one who squeezed Gibbs' hand lightly before heading off in the direction of the bullpen. Abruptly, she stopped and turned, saying, almost inaudible, "Shannon is a very lucky woman."

But Gibbs and his keen hearing picked up her comment, and replied with a soft, "And you, one day, will make a man very lucky."

Ziva smiled, almost sadly, and gestured for Gibbs to follow her back to the bullpen, almost as if the conversation never happened. Tony turned to watch them return, making eye contact with Ziva for a second, before he turned away and was talking again.

---

When Ziva and Gibbs arrived in the bullpen, they found that Tony had taken over and that the man on the other end of the transmission was finally stating his request.

" . . . And we want all files on Ivan Lazar destroyed and the case against him dropped," the mechanical voice demanded. "And then you can have the girl back."

"How do we know that we can trust you?" Tony asked impassively.

"You don't," the voice replied. "But you'll have to, if you want Agent Gibbs' daughter back."

"It'll take time to do all that," Tony added. "All that paperwork and digging and . . ."

"You have twenty-four hours," the man announced, cutting Tony off. "Twenty-four hours to remove all traces of Ivan Lazar or the girl dies." There was the telltale click as the man hung up.

"Great, just great," Tony sighed, collapsing into his chair. "You know, this is like the movie . . ."

"Don't care, DiNozzo," Gibbs said loudly, making Tony and McGee jump. He walked behind Tony and whacked him swiftly on the back of the head.

"Right, sorry, boss, not the time," Tony said quickly, rubbing his head.

"What have we got?" Gibbs asked, ignoring Tony.

"The kidnappers want us to wipe Lazar's records in exchange for Kelly," Tony started, but Gibbs gave him a withering stare.

"I know that, DiNozzo. I heard," Gibbs snapped, sitting down heavily behind his desk. "Tell me something I don't know."

"I managed to triangulate an area," McGee announced from behind his computer. He looked proud. "It's not fantastic, since he was using a modulator re-router, but I have narrowed it down to the wider DC area."

Ziva snorted. "That is really helpful, McGee.

"It's not my fault," McGee snapped. "I can't exactly . . ."

Ziva sighed. "I know it is not your fault, but it really does not narrow it down."

McGee nodded. "I know, but now that I know a bit about the technology Lazar's men are using, I can modify the tracing program specifically to pick up and decipher that particular wave."

"Good," Gibbs said approvingly, "good. You do that."

"Right away, boss." McGee sat down at his computer and started to tap at the keyboard furiously.

Gibbs turned to Tony and Ziva. "DiNozzo, David, I want you to go and have a chat with some of Lazar's associates, see what you can find out."

"On it, boss," Tony replied gladly, while Ziva nodded. Both agents collected their backpacks and dashed to the elevator, stepping inside as it opened.

McGee looked up from his computer. "What are you doing, boss?" he queried.

"Autopsy," Gibbs replied curtly, turning and leaving a slightly confused McGee behind to work on his programming. Following in the footsteps of Tony and Ziva, Gibbs stepped into the elevator as the doors slid open.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The doors to autopsy slid open and Ducky looked up from the victim he was currently slicing open.

"Jethro," Ducky stated.

"Ducky," Gibbs replied, stepping into autopsy and coming to a standstill, for once without anything to say or ask.

"How's Shannon?" Ducky asked, breaking the silence.

"Fine," Gibbs replied curtly, just as he had before.

"Care to elaborate, Jethro?" Ducky asked casually, setting down his scalpel and taking a few tentative steps towards Gibbs.

"Not particularly," Gibbs snapped and fell silence. After a moment of Ducky's peaceful gaze, Gibbs sighed and added, "She's fine. A bit of concussion. She's resting at home."

"And?" Ducky replied calmly, wiping his hands on the towel he'd picked up.

"And! And what?" Gibbs yelled, eyes blazing. "What do you want me to say, Duck? That she's heartbroken? Scared? Upset? Guilty? Of course she is! Her daughter was taken from her, right in front of her eyes. What do you expect?"

"_Your_ daughter, Jethro," Ducky stressed. "Not just Shannon's daughter, but yours too. Kelly is your daughter, and you have every right to be upset."

"I am not upset!" Gibbs yelled, to which Ducky replied with a clear look of disbelief. He repeated and added, "I'm not upset, just angry."

"And being upset can lead to anger," Ducky said wisely, closing the distance between him and Gibbs. He dropped the towel back on the table.

"I have no time to get upset." Gibbs brushed off Ducky's concern. "I need to concentrate on getting Kelly."

"Yes, that may be so, but you cannot deny your feelings," Ducky replied. "Sooner or later, these feelings shall erupt."

"I've got it under control, Duck," Gibbs said confidently. "Nothing to worry about."

"I am not sure that you do," Ducky answered seriously.

Gibbs glared at Ducky. "Stop psycho-analysing me," he snapped, stepping around Ducky and wandering over to the autopsy table. "I'm not one of your victims."

"I'm not psycho-analysing you, Jethro," Ducky pointed out, trailing after Gibbs. "I am merely pointing out the obvious. And it seems that young Ziva has also noticed."

Gibbs turned abruptly and turned on Ducky. "Ziva's been talking to you?"

"Yes," Ducky replied pleasantly. "A couple of hours ago and just before you walked in. She told me that the kidnappers have made contact."

"Yeah," Gibbs sighed, pacing. Ducky waited for Gibbs to elaborate.

"And they want the obvious," Gibbs muttered as he continued pacing. "They want Lazar's records destroyed and the case dropped, or they kill Kelly." He paused then laughed bitterly, "This is such a cliché."

"That may be so, but, from the kidnappers' perspective, it is a reasonable and valid request," Ducky said quietly. He paused for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

"Do?!" Gibbs started yelling again. "I have no idea what I'm going to do! They have Kelly! My daughter. My Kelly! What am I supposed to do, Ducky? Drop one of the largest drug cases this side of the millennia or risk my daughter's life? What the hell am I meant to do?"

Gibbs collapsed against the metal autopsy table, sliding to the floor and pressing his face into his hands. "What do I do, Ducky?" he murmured, his voice muffled. He was dangerously close to crying.

Ducky sighed and sat down next to Gibbs. "I don't know, Jethro. I honestly don't know." He, too, was hurting at the loss of his Goddaughter.

"I'm sorry," Gibbs muttered.

"Sorry? What for, Jethro?" Ducky queried.

Gibbs shrugged. "I dunno. Everything." Again, Ducky waited for Gibbs to elaborate.

He shrugged again. "Forgetting Kel's parent-teacher interview. Arguing with Shannon. No being there for them. Not being there at all. Being a terrible father . . ."

"You are not a terrible father," Ducky quickly cut in, firmly.

Gibbs looked at Ducky, his facing sagging and showing his age lines even more prominently. His eyes were dark and weary, almost as if he was ready to give up.

"I'm not a good one either," Gibbs sighed, closing his eyes.

"How so?" Ducky asked evenly.

Gibbs opened his eyes. "I'm just . . . not there," he sighed. "Kelly's parent-teacher interview is just another in the long list of events I've missed over the years. I'm always . . . working . . ." he trailed off, looking dejected.

"And that is a bad thing?" Ducky looked the tiniest bit confused.

"That's the point, Duck," Gibbs continued. "I'm always working. I'm never there for the important things. Sometimes . . . sometimes I think Shannon and Kelly would be better off without me."

"I highly doubt that, Jethro," Ducky said firmly, looking Gibbs in the eye.

"It's true," Gibbs replied bitterly. "Shannon worries about me constantly. She never says, but I know. And Kelly . . . Kelly barely knows me. She deserves someone who's always at her soccer games or riding lessons."

"Not true. Shannon _and Kelly_ are very lucky to have someone like you," Ducky countered. "You make their world a safer place, there's nothing bad about that."

"I never said there was," Gibbs replied. "I just think . . . I dunno. As I said, they'd be better off without me. I don't deserve them."

Ducky sighed. "What was one of the first things that Shannon ever said to you?" he asked.

"Never date a lumberjack," Gibbs replied immediately, slightly sarcastic.

Ducky grinned. "No, a bit after that."

"Everyone needs a code they can live by," Gibbs muttered.

"Yes," Ducky affirmed gently. "And what, may I ask, is her rule twelve?"

"Everyone deserves someone to come home to," Gibbs stated mechanically.

"And?" Ducky promoted.

"Especially NCIS agents who save the world on a daily basis," Gibbs finished, colouring slightly at the cheesy addition to the rule.

Ducky grinned again. "Exactly."

"So?" Gibbs gave him a sarcastic look.

"So?" Ducky looked annoyed. "You need to step out of this mind frame and concentrate on finding Kelly, so you still have someone to go home to."

Gibbs opened his mouth to reply, but Ducky cut him off, snapping, "And don't give me that rubbish about not deserving them, Jethro. Because you do. And they deserve you."

Gibbs faltered and sighed. "I just . . . it's just . . . I love them, Duck. So much that it physically hurts to see Shannon hurting, or Kelly crying."

"With great love comes great pain, Jethro. You know that," Ducky said wisely. "Without it, you don't know what you are fighting for."

"But what do I do, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, his voice breaking. "Do I save potentially hundreds of lives by getting Lazar and his men off the streets, or do I save one little girl that means the entire world to me . . . is my entire world?"

"It's not my decision to make, Jethro," Ducky replied.

"But I can't make it," Gibbs said pitifully, a lone tear running down his cheek. "Literally can't make it. It's not my call."

"Do you really think that Leon Vance is so heartless that he'd let a little girl die?" Ducky asked harshly.

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know," he murmured. "I just don't know." And this, Ducky saw, was weighing so heavily on Gibbs; he really did not have an answer to this tragic situation.

"You'll know what to do, Jethro," Ducky finally said, confident, "when the time comes. You'll know. A father's instinct always knows."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Half an hour later, Gibbs strode out of the elevator, acting as if his conversation with Ducky had never happened. He walked purposely into the bullpen, finding McGee working diligently at his computer, with no sign of Ziva or Tony.

"DiNozzo and Ziva not back yet?" Gibbs questioned, startling McGee as Gibbs came to halt in front of his desk.

"Uh, no, not yet, boss," McGee replied. "It's only been about an hour."

"Right."

There was an awkward silence.

Then McGee spoke, saying, "I've pretty much finished setting the parameters for the trap and trace. I've sent it off to Abby, just to see if I've missed anything."

Gibbs nodded. "Good. So it'll be ready by the time the bastards call back."

"Absolutely," McGee replied confidently.

"Good job, Tim," Gibbs praised, offering a rare smile. He paused. "Why don't you take a break? Get some coffee or something."

McGee looked slightly bewildered. "Um, sure, boss. That's if you don't . . ." he trailed off.

Gibbs shook his head and gestured to the elevator. "Go. Tony and Ziva should be back soon. You've done some good work, you deserve a break." Gibbs smiled again, unnerving McGee.

"Right, on it, boss." McGee gave Gibbs another bewildered look and scurried out of the bullpen. He walked over to the elevator and waited.

As the doors of the elevator opened, McGee found himself bumping into Tony who was stepping out of the lift.

"Ouch!" Tony exclaimed. "Probie!"

McGee blushed. "Sorry, Tony," he muttered.

Tony scowled. "You could have done some serious damage, McClumsy," he whined, rubbing his arm.

Ziva rolled her eyes, stepping past Tony who was blocking the lift doors. "He barely touched you, Tony. Stop being such a cry-bear."

"It's cry-baby, Zee-vah," Tony replied, exaggerating her name, "and it hurt." He pouted.

"Ziva's right, Tony," McGee said tiredly as Ziva halted next to McGee, "I barely touched you."

"Well, you could have," Tony sulked. "Watch where you're going next time." He glared at McGee.

"Where are you going anyway?" Tony questioned, looking curious.

"I'm on a break," McGee replied, trying to get into the elevator.

Tony stopped him with his arm. "Really, Probie. Does Gibbs know?" Tony grinned cheekily.

"Yes, Tony, as a matter of fact, he does," McGee snapped, sick of Tony's questions and wanting a cup of coffee. "He told me to take one."

"Really?" That piqued Tony's interest. "I thought he'd have you working to the bone."

"I've modified the program," McGee shrugged. "Abby's looking over it now."

"Hmmm . . ." Tony mused.

"So what, Tony?" Ziva sighed. "McGee is having a break. Is that not allowed?"

"'Course it's allowed," Tony said, emphasizing the last word. "It's just weird, that's all."

"You know, you might be correct, Tony," McGee said suddenly.

He lowered his voice. "He's being . . . nice. Complimented me."

Tony looked worried, but Ziva looked impatient.

"So?" she asked, annoyed.

Tony gave her a dark look as McGee said quietly, "The last time I remember Gibbs like this was when Kate died."

"Oh." Ziva diverted her eyes, feeling awkward. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness," Tony and McGee stated simultaneously.

There was another awkward silence.

Again, McGee broke it, saying, "Right, well, I'm going to get my coffee. You guys want anything?"

"Huh?" Tony looked startled. He shook his head. "I'm fine, McGee. Thanks."

"A coffee would be nice," Ziva smiled gently. "A . . ."

"A hazelnut latte, I know," McGee blurted out.

"Really?" Ziva smirked. "You know, do you?"

"Um, yeah. Comfort coffee," McGee blushed. He pointed at the elevator. "I'll just go get that coffee now," he muttered as he scrambled into the elevator.

Tony grinned. "Probie knows your comfort coffee," he teased, earning a glare from Ziva. "It must be love." He drew out the syllables of the last word.

Ziva punched him in the arm and stormed off to the bullpen.

"I was joking, Ziva," Tony huffed, calling after Ziva as he followed her into their office.

"You get anything?" Gibbs asked as Ziva stormed into the bullpen, followed by a sheepish Tony.

Ziva shook her head. "Sorry, Gibbs. The two we managed to track down had no information of use. Whatever Lazar's plan is, he is keeping it close to home."

Gibbs looked angry, but said nothing.

"Sorry, boss," Tony repeated weakly.

Gibbs sighed and waved his hand, as if he was shrugging them off. "It's not your fault," he answered, rubbing his forehead wearily.

Ziva and Tony shot each other concerned looks; this is what McGee had been talking about.

Abruptly, Gibbs stood and strolled out of the bullpen, not unlike an hour ago.

"Boss?" Tony called after him.

"Abby's lab," Gibbs called back, jabbing at the lift call button. "Gotta see how McGee's program's coming along." The elevator bells chimed and Gibbs stepped inside.

As the doors closed, Tony and Ziva looked at each other, with Tony asking, "Well, what are we meant to do now?"

---

"Gibbs," Abby said without looking up as Gibbs stepped into her lab. She was sitting behind her computer screens.

"Hey, Abs," Gibbs replied, bending over to kiss her cheek. "How did you know it was me?"

Abby shrugged. "My Gibbs sense," she replied, without her usual enthusiasm. "Kinda like a sixth sense, only a _Gibbs_ sense. Or a Spidey sense. I bet you'd make a good Spidey, Gibbs."

"You okay, Abby?" Gibbs asked kindly.

"Okay?!" Abby exclaimed as she swung around in her chair. "Okay? How can I be okay, Gibbs? Someone attacked Shannon. Someone took Kelly!" She looked as though she had been crying.

Then she gasped. "No. What am I going on about?" she muttered to herself. "Bad, Abby. Bad." Gibbs looked confused as Abby flew off her chair and wrapped her arms around Gibbs' neck.

"You shouldn't be asking how I am, I should be asking you. Shannon's injured! Kelly's gone! And you're here! By yourself. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!" She was borderline hysterical.

"Whoa, calm down, Abs," Gibbs said, patting her on the back. "It'll be okay."

"No!" Abby looked scandalized as she pushed away from Gibbs, tears forming in her eyes. "You shouldn't be consoling me; it should be the other way around!"

"It's okay, really," Gibbs replied, trying to placate an upset Abby.

"Oh, my God, Gibbs," she repeated and flew back into Gibbs' embrace, burying her head in his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"she finally asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"I'll be fine once I get Kel back," Gibbs answered truthfully. "Which is why I am here. You done with the program McGee sent you?"

Abby wiped her eyes as she pulled away from Gibbs. "Yes, sir," she saluted. "I didn't need to change a thing, Timmy's a pro."

"Good job, Abs," Gibbs nodded, kissing the top of her head. "It'll be up and running when Lazar calls?"

"Absolutely, Bossman. And that's absolutely as in Abbysolutely," she grinned, causing Gibbs to smile. This was more like the Abby he knew.

"If there is a single jolt," she started grandly, waving her hands, "a single, teeny-weeny noise, a hidden wave . . . we will find it and record it and analyse it until there is nothing left to analyse! I call it 'The Kelocater'!"

Gibbs looked amused. "Kelocater?"

"Yeah," Abby explained enthusiastically. "A portmanteau of Kelly and locator . . . A Kelocater."

Gibbs smiled softly. "That's great, Abs." He couldn't hide the sadness in his voice.

"Oh, Gibbs." For the third time in mere minutes, Abby threw her arms around Gibbs' neck. "We will find her," she sniffled. "Won't we?"

"'Course we will, Abby," Gibbs murmured. "I'll do whatever it takes. I'll get her back."

---

"McGee, you're back," Gibbs barked as he entered the bullpen. McGee has indeed come back from his break, and Gibbs could see Ziva sipping a coffee.

"Yes, boss," McGee replied, even though the comment was redundant.

"Good," Gibbs nodded. "Abby's done with the program. I need you to set it up."

"Boss?"

"I gave you an order, McGee," Gibbs ordered.

"Right on it, boss." McGee started to type furiously on his keyboard.

"DiNozzzo!"

"Yeah, boss?"

"You have the number the call came from?" Gibbs asked quickly.

"It wasn't a phone number, boss," McGee reminded without looking up. "It was an IP address, most likely re-routed."

"I don't care what it was, McGee, just get the number-IP thingy!" Gibbs barked.

"Pulling it up now, boss," Tony replied immediately, pulling the number onto the plasma screen.

"Uh, you can't get any info off it. It's practically untraceable," McGee called without looking up.

"I know that, McGee," Gibbs said, exasperated. "I don't want it to trace it. I want to _call_ it. That still works, yeah?"

"Well, yeah, kinda, but . . ."

"No buts, McGee," Gibbs snapped, "just get that program up and running."

"Gibbs, what are you thinking?" Ziva asked from her desk.

"I'm giving them what they want," Gibbs replied confidently, sitting peacefully at his desk and ignoring the startled looks he received from his team.

"Trust me."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The park was dull in the evening light. The small playground was abandoned and the few benches scattered around the small park were empty. A few birds chirped, but other than that, all was quiet.

"Anything, Ziva?" Tony asked in a hushed tone, pressing down on his earpiece.

"Negative," Ziva whispered back as her eyes keenly swept the barked playground.

Tony groaned into his microphone. "They said she'd be here."

"I know that, Tony," Ziva snapped, stealthily moving through some bushes to the lone pathway. "The east side is clear."

"As is the west," Tony sighed. "No sign of Kelly?"

"Affirmative," Ziva muttered.

"Damn," Tony cursed, looking angry. "Damn it."

"Calm down, Tony," Ziva said through her communication device.

"Calm down? Calm down?" Tony moaned, frustrated. "Something must have gone wrong," he summarized. "Perhaps . . ."

"Perhaps they saw through Gibbs' bluff," Ziva finished quietly.

"Yeah," Tony replied, dejected.

Ziva sighed. "This is pointless. She is not here. I am returning to the car." She turned and followed the path back towards their NCIS issued vehicle

"Yeah," Tony repeated and then said again, "Damn."

Tony and Ziva both reached the car at the same time. They looked dejectedly at each other before Tony said, "You really think she's not here."

Ziva nodded. "I do. The kidnappers were very adamant. Kelly would be here and she is not, indicating something has gone wrong."

"How wrong?" Tony looked upset.

Ziva shrugged. "I do not know, Tony. Perhaps . . . perhaps . . ."

"Yeah," Tony muttered. "Yeah." He raised his voice. "Let's just go. I'm not looking forward to breaking the news to Gibbs."

"There was always the chance that the plan would not work," Ziva commented sensibly.

"I know," Tony replied, "but it's just . . . I just . . ."

"I understand." Ziva walked past Tony to the passenger's seat, and as she did so, gently squeezed his arm. "Let's go. I will tackle Gibbs, if you would like."

"No, I'll do it," Tony mumbled, shuffling his feet to the driver's seat. He looked perplexed. "You're letting me drive?"

Ziva shrugged and smiled softly. "Perhaps I do not feel like driving," she replied with a knowing look.

Tony was still for a moment, before slipping into the driver's seat. "Thanks," he said softly.

Ziva didn't reply, only smiled gently.

---

"What the hell happened?"Gibbs exploded after Tony had finished telling him about their unsuccessful pick-up at the quiet park.

"Not sure, boss," Tony replied. "She wasn't there when we arrived." He paused. "Sorry, boss."

"Don't apologize," Gibbs snapped. "I want to know what happened."

"The bluff did not work, Gibbs," Ziva said bluntly.

"You think I don't know that, David!" Gibbs yelled, slamming his fist against his desk. Ziva didn't flinch.

Gibbs turned on McGee. "McGee!" he shouted.

"B-boss," McGee stuttered. Gibbs was scary enough when he was angry, but a livid Gibbs was terrifying. If his gun hadn't been safely tucked in his draw, McGee was sure that Gibbs would have shot something, or someone, by now.

"Is there any way the bastards could have found out that we faked the removal of the files?" he barked.

"Um, well, it is possible," McGee replied quietly, "but the faked mirror database should have been enough to convince them."

"Then why didn't it?!"

"I don't know, boss," McGee replied, looking distraught that his piece of programming hadn't worked as is should have. "Theoretically, if the Lazar had skilled enough technicians and specialized programs, I guess they could have broken through the mirror, found the real database and seen that the files were still there."

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then find out!" Gibbs ordered.

"I can try, boss, but I can't promise anything," McGee replied.

"Just do it, McGee," Gibbs snapped wearily.

"I'll try." McGee turned to his computer, fingers flying over the keyboard, working his magic.

Gibbs spun to face Tony. "DiNozzo! I want . . ."

The sound of an alarm cut Gibbs off mid-sentence. McGee looked up, half-wary-half-panicked.

"Boss!" he exclaimed. "That's Lazar's IP!"

Gibbs looked startled for a moment and then ordered, "Trace it."

"Already on it," McGee replied. A few seconds later, he nodded. "Ready."

Gibbs returned his nod and McGee hit the button to pick up the transmission, just over twenty-four hours since the first contact with Lazar's men.

As with last time, the same low male voice transmitted over the line, saying chillingly, "You broke your good faith, Agent Gibbs."

"I don't know what you mean," Gibbs replied casually.

"You know exactly what I mean, Agent Gibbs," the voice snapped. "You said you would remove all files and halt investigations into Ivan Lazar."

"We did," Gibbs replied, acting confused.

"Obviously not," the man hissed. "Because why was the FBI raiding my boss' house?"

Gibbs' face darkened and he swore heavily under his breath. "That had nothing to do with us! Nothing to do with my daughter!"

The voice tut-tutted. "When we said all investigation, we included the idiots over at the FBI too. You should have reined the idiots in."

"But you never said . . ." Gibbs was starting to sound desperate, and that worried his team.

"What part of **all** do you not understand?" the voice yelled. "This is on your head, Agent Gibbs. Luckily, my boss is decent man and does not kill children on a whim. Your daughter is still alive, Agent Gibbs, for now."

"You give me back . . ."

"Temper, Agent Gibbs," the male voice cooed. "Did anyone ever tell you that you'd do well with some anger management?" The voice paused. "We will ring back tomorrow."

The person on the other end of the transmission hung up, prompting Gibbs to swear again.

"At least she's alive," McGee commented meekly.

---

After spending another couple of hours in stony silence, Gibbs ordered everyone home, telling them to be back bright and early the next morning. The team had looked grateful and had scurried out the door before Gibbs could change his mind.

Now Gibbs was pulling into the driveway of the house he and Shannon shared. As he clicked open the garage and parked the car, the garage door opened and Shannon stepped out, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

"Jethro," she greeted, pulling her husband into a hug.

"Hey, Shan," Gibbs replied, kissing her briefly on the lips.

"I've made dinner," she said quietly, standing and waiting for Gibbs to enter the house before her.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" he chastised lightly.

Shannon narrowed her eyes and frowned. "I have done nothing but rest since I arrived home from the hospital. I need to do something." Her words left no room for argument.

Gibbs sighed, but said nothing. He pulled off his coat and flung it over his easy chair as he strolled through the lounge room and into the kitchen.

"So what's for dinner?" he asked casually.

"Chicken," Shannon replied, trailing in after her husband, "with beans, potatoes and garlic sauce."

"Sounds wonderful," he answered, keeping up the façade of a normal evening.

"So it should be," Shannon replied sharply.

She dished up two plates of the chicken dish and placed one in front of her husband before taking the other one to her seat. There was silence for a few minutes while the pair started on their meal.

"Not bad," Gibbs complimented, to which Shannon only nodded.

"So," Gibbs started breezily, "how was your day?"

Flushing red, Shannon slammed her knife and fork down on the table and rose from her chair, leaning heavily on the table.

"My day, Jethro," she started through clenched teeth, "was fabulous," she continued sarcastically. "I got up, you were gone, and started making my daughter's lunch. Then I remembered that my daughter had been kidnapped and hence there was no need to pack a lunch! So I did some washing, deciding to change my daughter's sheets. Oh, but guess what? They didn't need changing because they haven't been slept in!" she exploded, sounding hysterical.

She glared at Gibbs. "My day was just bloody wonderful!"

She put on a fake smile. "How was your day, dear?"

This time it was Gibbs' turn to glare. "You know perfectly well how my day was," he snapped.

"Oh, yeah," Shannon bit back sarcastically. "You failed to get me back my daughter!"

"Our Daughter! That wasn't my fault," Gibbs retorted. "They went back on their promise."

Shannon snorted and glowered at Gibbs. "Which you didn't even fulfil in the first place!"

Something snapped, so Gibbs shouted, "You think this is my fault, don't you?"

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Shannon asked in a sugary voice.

"Don't jerk me around, Shannon," Gibbs yelled back. "I'm doing everything I can."

"Then try harder!" Shannon shouted. "This is our daughter."

"I know it's our daughter!" Gibbs retorted harshly. "Why do you think I'm doing all this?"

"Doing what?" Shannon asked bitterly. "I don't see you doing much at all!"

"Don't you dare imply that I am not trying to get our daughter back," Gibbs hissed in a deadly calm voice. "Don't you even dare, Shannon."

He violently pushed back his chair and stood, glaring at his wife. He turned abruptly, and stormed out of their kitchen. He punched the wall, making Shannon flinch.

"Jethro," Shannon angrily called after him, "we have not finished!"

"I think we have," Gibbs snarled as he stormed down the hallway.

"Don't you dare brush me off!" Shannon shouted as Gibbs threw open the door leading to the basement and stomped down the stairs.

"Jethro!"

---

The second ransom call came mid-morning the next day. Gibbs had been furious when he arrived for work, and this prompted the team to work in complete silence and to avoid making eye contact with their boss and each other.

Until now.

"Back tracing the call, boss," McGee said obediently, before Gibbs even had to ask him.

Gibbs didn't bother to answer. Instead, he signalled for Tony to pick up the transmission.

"Change of plan, Agent Gibbs," the familiar voice said pleasantly. "East dockyards. Two o'clock this afternoon. Alone. Come alone or don't follow the rules, and she is dead."

He hung up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Tony cursed violently under his breath. "Boss, you can't possibly . . ."

Gibbs glared at Tony. "Can't possibly what, DiNozzo?"

Tony shrugged meekly. "You know . . . give in."

"The hell I can," Gibbs retorted harshly. He turned to McGee. "You trace the call?"

McGee looked apologetic. "Sorry boss, the call was too short." He flinched, as though he was waiting for some kind of backlash.

Gibbs growled in annoyance. "Okay, whatever." He paused. "I need to think." He stormed out of the bullpen and harshly jabbed at the lift call button, stepping inside when the doors opened.

McGee and Ziva exchanged worried looks as Tony yelled authoritatively, "Campfire, now!"

Immediately and obediently, Ziva and McGee pushed their computer chairs over to Tony's desk and looked at him expectantly.

"Right, we have a problem," Tony started.

Ziva gave him an incredulous look. "Do you really need to point that out, Tony? We know that."

"We all know Gibbs will go," Tony continued, ignoring Ziva's comment. "And thus we must stop him . . ."

Much to Tony's surprise, McGee spoke next, saying, "Why?"

"Why?" Tony gave McGee a look that mirrored Ziva's earlier look. "Why!? Why do you think, McGee," he hissed. "It's dangerous and downright idiotic."

"Gibbs can handle himself," McGee replied.

"Yeah, usually," Tony replied darkly.

"And why is this time any different?" Ziva asked.

"Like you don't know, Ziva," Tony shot back, his voice raised. He lowered it and said, "He's not thinking straight."

"Well, duh," McGee pointed out, leaning onto Tony's desk. "His daughter has been kidnapped."

"Exactly." Tony stabbed the air in front of him. "It's Kelly, not some random naval officer. It's personal."

"It is always personal with Gibbs," Ziva amended, leaning back in her chair.

"Perhaps, but this is _personal_ personal," Tony replied.

He lowered his voice even more as he leaned in and said, "Look, during my first year working for Gibbs, Shannon witnessed the murder of a Marine by a drug dealer. Gibbs, obviously, wasn't allowed on the investigation. An agent was assigned to protect both Shannon and Kelly, who was only an infant . . ."

Both McGee and Ziva looked startled at his new piece of information about their boss. Tony must have noticed this because he said, "I'm not supposed to talk about it, Gibbs' rule."

"Anyway," he continued, his voice soft, "the whole thing went bad. The agent assigned to protect Shannon and Kelly was killed as he drove them to a hospital appointment for Kelly. They crashed. Shannon and Kelly were injured, not horribly, but enough to warrant lengthy stays in the hospital." Tony shuddered at the memory.

"That was the first and only time I've truly been scared of Gibbs," Tony said in such a low voice that McGee and Ziva almost didn't hear it. "He . . . he . . ." Tony trailed off.

Ziva reached over and squeezed his hand, looking at him with sympathetic eyes. This prompted Tony to continue.

"Gibbs went, well, crazy," Tony murmured. "I'd hate to see what would have happened if they had been killed. He came _this close_," Tony empathized with his fingers, "_this_ close to killing the drug dealer when he wasn't extradited from Mexico. I managed to stop him. Just. It was the scariest thing in my life, and I know scary."

"So, you're saying . . ." McGee interrupted.

"That Gibbs will do anything for his family," Tony finished with a sigh. "And I mean anything. You can see why we have a problem."

"If they do anything to Kelly, he will kill them," Ziva summarized.

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "That's what I'm afraid of."

---

As the elevator doors closed and the carriage started to move, Gibbs pressed his favored emergency stop button and the elevator grinded to a halt. The carriage darkened and the mechanics stop working. Gibbs was silent for a moment, and then he lashed out at the walls of the carriage.

He stopped when his knuckles started to hurt. He slid down the wall, brought his knees to his chest and hugged his legs. He wasn't going to cry.

He hadn't spoken to Shannon since their altercation the night before. She had locked herself in their bedroom and had told him with some well-chosen barbed words use the linen cupboard when he attempted to talk to her. So he had spent an uncomfortable night on the sofa tossing and turning, and not just because the sofa was uncomfortable.

Gibbs sighed and looked at the ground. He'd really messed things up, he decided. He had thought that by leaving the Marines, he'd finally have chance at a life with Shannon, and perhaps even a child. Then came Kelly, but it was still the same.

It was a vicious cycle.

Gibbs couldn't even count the number of times he'd missed out on something important because a criminal need interrogating or a crime scene needed processing. If anything, his job at NCIS consumed him even more than the Marines ever did, and he hated it.

He failed them, all of them.

He was never there for his daughter, he summarized. But now, he mused, there was something he could do. No one . . . _no one_ got away with hurting his family, his people.

Ever.

Gibbs was going to fix this. Fix it and make up for all the other times when he had failed as a father and as a husband, and really, as a human being. He would put things right and rescue his daughter. He always would. A father's love meant that he'd walk through fire and swim through a pool full of sharks for his baby, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Even if it killed him.

---

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked as he strolled into the bullpen.

Tony jumped, and McGee and Ziva hastily rolled away from Tony's desk.

"Yeah, boss?" Tony replied, standing and stumbling over his chair in his haste.

"If I don't come back, it's your team," Gibbs stated plainly, sauntering over to Tony's desk.

"Boss?" Tony looked bewildered and nervous.

"It's exactly as it says on the tin, Tony," Gibbs answered calmly.

"But . . . but . . ." Tony spluttered.

"No buts, DiNozzo. I need someone I trust to keep McGee and David in line," he interjected and then added softly, so that only Tony could hear, "I need someone to look out for Shannon and Kelly."

"Boss . . ." Tony started painfully.

"No, Tony, don't," Gibbs hushed and turned away from the shell-shocked younger agent.

"Gibbs, you cannot be serious," Ziva protested, joining Gibbs at the edge of Tony's desk.

"I am deadly serious, Ziva," Gibbs replied and then said softly with gruff affection, "Thank you."

"Wha . . . huh?" Ziva mirrored Tony's bewildered look.

"Just . . . thank you," Gibbs repeated, gently squeezing her hand and walking away from the pair.

"McGee don't listen to everything DiNozzo tells you," Gibbs advised. "Listen to your gut and you'll go far."

"Boss . . .?"

"You can't, boss!" Tony finally exploded, putting into words what they were all feeling and cutting off McGee. "There must be another way . . ."

"And what might that be?" Gibbs snapped, his mood changing drastically. "Wait until they kill an eight-year-old girl?!"

"No!" Tony shouted. "I don't mean that; 'course I don't. But . . ."

"But what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs yelled back. "There are no 'but whats'!"

"I won't let you do this," Tony retorted determinedly.

"And how do you suppose are you going to stop me?" Gibbs challenged.

"I don't know!" Tony yelled desperately. "I don't know!"

"And you think I do!" Gibbs replied, with the same desperation. "I'm just trying to save my daughter."

"I know that, boss, I do," Tony sighed, "it's just . . ."

"Don't," Gibbs snapped. He turned to the team. "Don't follow me. Don't track me. Don't do anything unless you hear from me or the kidnappers. Got it?"

"Gibbs . . ."

"Boss . . ."

"I am still your boss and I am ordering you to stay put," Gibbs barked. "Got it!" he roared and glared at his team.

"But, boss, what about the rules . . ." Tony tried as Gibbs made a move to walk out of the bullpen, a final, desperate attempt to stop Gibbs from going to his certain death.

It was a mistake.

Gibbs froze, and spun to face Tony so fiercely that you could almost hear the air whipping around his body. He glared so strongly at Tony that the younger man flinched and took an unconscious step back.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs hissed, seething with anger, "when it comes to my family, there are no rules."

"But . . ." The most furious glare Tony had ever seen from Gibbs cut him off.

"I. Am. Not. Acting. As. A. NCIS. Agent," Gibbs growled and yanked his badge from his hip so harshly that it nearly ripped in two. Gibbs stormed over to Tony's desk and slammed the badge down in front of the shocked agent. The force made Tony, as well as Ziva and McGee who were watching the unfolding scene with growing concern flinch.

"I am a father going to save his little girl," Gibbs finished in a deadly low voice.

Abruptly, Gibbs turned and marched out of the bullpen, leaving three gaping and speechless agents behind, and none were game enough to follow him.

---

"Ducky, Gibbs has gone after the men who took Kelly," Tony all but cried as the medical examiner strolled into the bullpen. "I'm worried, Ducky, that he might do something that will get him into serious trouble. It's practically suicide!"

Ducky looked concerned, but not overly shocked. "Oh, dear," he said, for lack of anything better to say.

"He'll kill them, Ducky!" Tony looked agitated. "He'll kill the men that took Kelly! Or get killed himself!"

Ducky sighed. "Perhaps you should give Jethro the benefit of the doubt," Ducky said carefully. "Perhaps he won't do anything rash that may endanger his life."

"That's bull, Duck, and you know it," Tony snapped. "He's going to do something he regrets."

Ducky nodded soberly. "That's what I'm afraid of."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Gibbs' foot pressed harder on the accelerator as he drove furiously towards the east dockyards. He felt slightly bad about abandoning his team, but Gibbs quickly pushed those thoughts aside as he concentrated on the task at hand, rescuing Kelly. In this moment, nothing else mattered.

He weaved in and out of the traffic, finding the quickest path towards the dockyards. He consciously knew that he was breaking the speed limit, but Gibbs did not care. As a dark car hooted its horn angrily at Gibbs, he swore and responded by speeding up.

Finally, Gibbs roared into the east dockyards and came to a screeching halt. He exited the car and immediately two oversized, burly men were pointing their weapons in his face. Gibbs sighed.

"I see that he sent the welcoming party," Gibbs remarked dryly.

"You will toss us any weapons," the man on the left commanded, sounding like a clichéd movie bodyguard.

When Gibbs didn't respond within a second, the other man caught him off guard and shoved him against the car, patting him down and whipping out the gun that was in Gibbs' holster before pulling out the one from his ankle.

The man then turned to this partner and said, "He's clear."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "I would have given you the weapons if you had given me a chance," he responded lightly.

The men ignored him and instead grabbed him by the arms and pulled him towards a darkened building.

"You will be silent," the robo-bodyguard ordered. Gibbs did not even dignify the statement with a response.

Once they reached the door of the building, robo-bodyguard's partner rapped on it, hammering out the 'Mission Impossible' theme tune. Gibbs rolled his eyes again and would had head-slapped the idiot if he had not been restrained. They really must have picked up their moves from sensationalised cop-movies.

The building door slid open and the men roughly pushed Gibbs inside. Once inside, they directed him behind some containers marked "dangerous" and as he rounded the final crate, Ivan Lazar stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing an expensive tailored suit and had a homely smile on his face.

"Welcome, Agent Gibbs," Lazar said grandly, spreading his arms and gesturing as if he was showing off a prized mansion. "How nice of you to join us," he said pleasantly.

"Where's my daughter, you bastard," Gibbs spat. Lazar's men still had him by the shoulders.

Lazar shook his head and tut-tutted. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners, Jethro? Can I call you Jethro?" he asked with a smile.

"Where is my . . ." Gibbs started to repeat, but Lazar cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Your daughter, I know," Lazar replied, as if he was conversing about the weather. "She is fine." He paused. "I think young Kelly would get along nicely with my own girls. They're her age, seven and nine, Georgia and Danielle. Little sweethearts, they are. Friends with anyone they meet."

"Which is more than I can say for their father," Gibbs muttered to himself, feeling pity for the poor girls who were stuck with Lazar as a father. He raised his voice and said, "If you have so much as . . ."

"Relax, Jethro," Lazar said calmly, walking closer to Gibbs. "Kelly is fine. I've had her stashed in my little retreat in the wilderness. Lovely place. Private lake. Jet-skiing, boat charters, that sort of thing. I believe that Kelly had everything her little heart could have wanted. I had my girls' nanny with her most of the time. If I am not mistaken, the last time I left them, they were baking cookies and going to make Christmas decorations."

His face darkened. "I am not in the habit of harming little girls, Agent Gibbs," he said. "I have morals."

Gibbs snorted. "Morals? _Morals?_ You think kidnapping little girls and assaulting women shows that you have a moral character?"

"I told the idiots not to hurt your wife," he replied, shaking his head. "Idiots. Rest assured I had them dealt with. Your wife is much like my own, very family orientated and slightly resentful that my business constantly keeps me away from her and my girls. She's a lovely red-head as well, but I am betting you already know that, Jethro."

Lazar grinned. "We are very much alike, Jethro, which is why I think we can do business."

"We are nothing alike," Gibbs growled. "Nothing at all."

"I disagree," Lazar replied. "We are both family men, yes. And our jobs demand that we work at maximum capacity to achieve desired goals, and sometimes, rules have to be broken to achieve that, isn't that so? Can't you see the parallels?"

"Nope, I see no parallels," Gibbs replied flippantly. "All I see is a coward hiding behind a fancy suit and a couple of men who seem to spend more time watching 'Mission Impossible' than actually being frightening." Gibbs smiled.

Lazar grinned again. "Mick, Danny, let Jethro go." He pointed to the side. "And why don't you get our little guest."

Mick and Danny, or the robo-bodyguards, dropped their grip from Gibbs' shoulders and glared at him before stalking out of sight.

Once they had left, Lazar offered, "Coffee, Jethro?"

When Gibbs shook his head, Lazar called out, "Katherine dear, could you bring me a coffee?"

A young blonde stepped out and smiled gently at Lazar. "Of course, Mr. Lazar." She turned to Gibbs.

"And anything for you, sir?" she asked politely.

"I'm good," Gibbs snapped so Lazar waved Katherine away.

"Make it . . ." Lazar started to call out, but Katherine finished by saying,

"Strong and hot, I know, Mr. Lazar," Katherine replied with a wink.

"You're a darling, Katherine," Lazar cooed. "I wouldn't know how I'd cope without you."

"You wouldn't," Katherine replied cheekily and scurried away into what Gibbs perceived as a small office.

Lazar turned back to Gibbs and smiled. "Katherine, my personal assistant. Wonderful girl."

"You sleeping with her?" Gibbs asked casually.

Lazar, for the first time, looked slightly angry. "I will not dignify that question with a response," he snorted irritably.

"Just wondering," Gibbs shrugged.

Gibbs and Lazar were interrupted by the return of Mick and Danny, with Danny pulling a familiar brown-haired girl behind him.

Kelly.

"DADDY!" Kelly screeched, kicking Danny in the shins, which prompted Danny to let go. The girl ran full force towards her father, latching onto his waist and crying, "Daddy!"

Immediately, Gibbs dropped to his knees and embraced his crying daughter. He pulled her to his chest and gripped her tightly, burying his face in her hair and thanking every God under the sun that Kelly was okay and safe in his arms.

He tried not to cry.

"Aw, how sweet," Lazar cooed, breaking up the reunion between father and child. "Picture perfect Hallmark moment."

Gibbs stood up, keeping a protective embrace around Kelly and shielding her as best he could. "What do you want, Ivan?"

Lazar shook his head. "That was a bad move on your behalf, with the FBI idiots," he replied darkly. "I asked for a simple task, yet you could not manage that. I admit your Agent McGee was good, but my boys are better. And I thought I could trust you." He shook his head sadly.

"What do you want?" Gibbs repeated.

Lazar sighed. "You betrayed my good faith, Jethro, and I do not take that lightly." He reached behind his back and pulled out a gun.

Immediately, Gibbs pulled Kelly behind him, putting himself between Kelly and Lazar with his gun. If anyone was going to be shot, it was not going to be his eight-year-old daughter.

"Lazar, put down the gun," Gibbs started calmly. "Tell me what you want and I can see if I can get it done."

"Oh, I will, Jethro," Lazar said pleasantly, with a sinister smile. "But first . . ."

In the split second before Lazar aimed and fired, Gibbs forced Kelly to the ground. She cried out. And then, something slammed into Gibbs shoulder.

At first, there was a peaceful silence, then it was broken by searing pain and the scream of a little girl. Gasping, Gibbs dropped to his knees, his hand instinctively pressed against the wound in his shoulder. He moaned as Kelly screamed, "DADDYYYYYYYYYY!"

The final thing Gibbs heard as he collapsed forward was Kelly shrieking and fighting against Danny and Mick.

"What did you do to my daddy!?" she shrieked, her words mixing with her tears. "Daddy! DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

---

Gibbs groaned as his vision cleared and swarmed in front of him. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his bearings. A sharp stab of pain rocketed through his shoulder and he moaned.

Then a little voice cooed, "It's okay, daddy. It's okay."

Kelly.

Gibbs groaned again and forced his eyes open. They focused on the first thing his eyes saw, the worried face of his daughter leaning over him.

"Daddy?"

"I'm okay, Kelly-Belle," Gibbs croaked, trying to reassure his young daughter.

"No you're not," Kelly retorted shrilly. "You've been shot! You have blood loss and went into shock!"

Even though it hurt, Gibbs grinned. "And where did you learn about blood loss and shock, young miss?" he coughed.

"School," Kelly replied plainly. "Health week last month. It was fun." Then she grinned cheekily. "And Maddie's mum lets us watch ER sometimes."

"I might have to have a word with Maddie's mum, then," Gibbs replied, wincing in pain.

Kelly looked worried. "Are you in pain, dad?"

Gibbs shook his head and to prove his point, sat up. He resisted the urge to cry out as his injured side jarred the floor. "I'm fine, Kel. Don't worry."

"Stubborn," Kelly said hotly. "You _are_ in pain."

"Stubborn like someone else I know," Gibbs retorted, a small smile gracing his lips.

"I'm not stubborn," she pouted, placing her hands on her hips. She passed Gibbs some towelling. "Ivan left these for you," she said.

"Ivan?" Gibbs repeated, worried about the fact that his daughter was referring to her kidnapper in such a friendly manner. He stilled and went pale. "Kelly, did Lazar-Ivan," he asked slowly. "Did Ivan _do_ anything . . .?"

"Do what?" Kelly asked innocently and shook her head. "He was nice. So was Maria. She makes yummy cookies. Did you know that they have a boat and jet skis?" she said, almost excitedly.

She frowned. "It's cold, so Maria said I couldn't use them, but if I visited in summer, Georgia or Danielle would show me."

Gibbs was unnerved and vowed to find a psychiatrist for Kelly once they were out of this place. It clearly sounded as though Kelly had developed a small case of the Stockholm Syndrome.

"It was like being on holiday, daddy," Kelly finished, but then her smiled faded. "But I missed you and mummy. It was scary, 'specially at night. I wished you would come and get me, daddy, every night. I wanted to go _home_."

"Oh, Kel," Gibbs sighed, sounding tired. The pain in his shoulder, while still sharp, was now only registering as a dull throb in Gibbs' mind. "I am so, so sorry, baby. So sorry." He looked pathetic and worn out on the concrete floor.

"It's not your fault, daddy." Kelly bent over and kissed Gibbs on the nose. "But I want mummy. When can we go home?"

"I want your mummy, too," Gibbs murmured, remembering that their last conversation had turned into a screaming match. Then he said louder and stronger, "Don't worry, Kelly-Belle, we'll get out of this. I promise. Tony, Tim and Ziva will come and get us. I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Gibbs was unsure how much time passed. For much of it, he had faded in and out of consciousness. But gratefully, every time he opened his blurry eyes, Kelly was there.

"Time?" he murmured in a wave of haze.

"It's been about two hours, I think," Kelly replied.

"How do you know?" Gibbs mumbled.

Kelly was trying her best, but she was just an eight-year-old with her small amount of medical knowledge coming from school and the odd hospital drama, and as such, Gibbs was losing more blood than he would have liked.

Kelly fished in her pocket and brought out the blue plastic watch Shannon had bought her the other week. That was the only thing that Gibbs could see that was actually hers. Instead of the riding boots, blue top and leggings, Kelly was wearing jeans and a green sweatshirt with a pair of expensive looking trainers.

"See." She pointed at the watch. "When the goons brought me here, it was one, and now it's three in the afternoon. Two hours." Kelly looked proud.

Gibbs managed a half-smile. "Clever girl," he praised, and then coughed.

"Rule thirty-two – always be prepared," Kelly grinned. She faltered. "Daddy, you don't sound good." She looked scared, vulnerable and _eight_.

"I'm fine," Gibbs assured her, making sure that his pain was cleverly masked from his daughter. He sat up. "See, it's fine."

Kelly started crying. "I want to go home," she whined, little tears rolling down her cheeks. "I want my mum."

"Shhh," Gibbs soothed, cradling his daughter with his uninjured side. "It's okay. We'll go home soon."

"But I want mummy!" Kelly wailed. "I want to go home NOW! I want . . ."

Kelly's protests were cut off by heavy gunfire and shouts of "NCIS, drop your weapons! Drop your weapons!"

Kelly screamed and Gibbs tightened his grip on her. There was more gunfire, shouts, and then movement within their vicinity.

"Get up," Lazar ordered as he hurried back into the building. He was waving a gun. "Now." He made grab at Kelly, which was a mistake.

Kelly let off an ear-piercing scream and she kneed the man between his legs. Being little, it didn't pack a large punch, but it was enough for Lazar to loosen his grip on Kelly. Finishing him off, Kelly bit down on his arm, earning a yelp from Lazar and freedom for Kelly. She pulled away and backed into a crate that lined the edge of the building.

At the same time, Gibbs had managed to pull himself to his feet and was groping around for the gun Lazar dropped after Kelly attacked him. Luckily for them, Kelly's scream had attracted the attention of NCIS, and suddenly, three familiar faces burst into Kelly's vision.

By now, Lazar had recovered enough and had reclaimed his gun. He raised it, and aimed it at the approaching agents, who were backed up by a Special Reaction Team.

"NCIS! Drop your weapon," Tony ordered harshly, aiming his weapon. "Drop it, Lazar!"

Lazar ignored the warning and fired off one shot, which was a mistake. The shot went wide and Tony retaliated with Lazar going down in a hail of bullets. His body fell heavily to the ground and the dozen or so bullet wounds started oozing blood.

Kelly screamed again and cried out. Her eyes fixated on Tony who was carefully making sure that Lazar was out of action.

"TONY!" she wailed and raced over to the agent. "Tony!"

Without breaking his stride, Tony hastily holstered his weapon and scooped Kelly into his arms as soon as she was close enough. Kelly buried her face in his shoulder, soaking it with her tears.

Tony cupped her head and kissed her forehead. "It's okay, Kel. We're here. It's safe."

"Daddy," Kelly cried, her voice muffled by Tony's shoulder. "He's hurt."

"I know, Kel," Tony replied, hiding the worry in this voice.

He watched as McGee and Ziva hurried over to Gibbs who was now doubled over and on the verge of collapsing.

"Boss, are you okay?" McGee asked as he skidded to a halt in front of Gibbs and holstered his weapon.

"What do you think, McGee," Gibbs snapped woozily, clutching his shoulder. "I've been shot."

He groaned and stumbled forward. Ziva caught his uninjured shoulder and McGee grabbed his waist. Together, the pair lowered Gibbs to the ground and Ziva barked into her communication set,

"We need a medic here. Agent down." She pressed her hands against the bullet hole in Gibbs' shoulder.

"Is he alive?" McGee asked.

Ziva gave him an exasperated look. "Of course he is. His chest is moving." She gestured to Gibbs lying prone on the ground. "And it is just his shoulder. I do not think it hit anything major. The main concern is blood loss."

"Right, yes, of course," McGee replied and then asked, "What can I do?"

"Get the medic," Ziva ordered, taking charge. She looked up and saw that the Special Reaction Team was finishing clearing the building and that Tony had his hands full with Kelly.

"On it," McGee said immediately and rushed out the building door.

Ziva looked down at her unconscious boss and sighed. "You are okay now, Gibbs. It is going to be okay."

---

Tony kept Kelly's face firmly against his shoulder as he carried her out of the building. They had unfortunately needed to use deadly force and thus the bodies of Mick and Danny, as well as two other men lined the buildings as Tony walked back to the cordoned off area, serving as their command centre.

At the same time, the medical examiner's truck drove up and the door flew open. Shannon stumbled out the door and scanned the crowd wildly. Her eyes finally rested on Tony and Kelly. Her eyes widened and she ran over to the yellow police tape that was sealing off the scene. A uniformed police officer stopped her.

"Ma'am, you can't go in there. It's a . . ." he started.

"Does it look like I care," Shannon snapped, attempting to push pass the officer. "That's my child. Get out of my way!"

"Ma'am . . ."

"It's okay," a new voice said, coming over.

"Tobias," Shannon said in a strangled voice. "Kelly . . . Jethro . . ."

"Let her through," Fornell ordered and lifted the tape for Shannon to duck under. He paused. "Jethro's been shot."

Shannon gasped and paled. Her eyes filled with tears. "What?" she whispered.

"It's not too bad," Fornell reassured. "Through and through. A bit of blood loss, that's all."

Shannon nodded and started crying, covering her mouth with her hand. Then,

"MUMMY!" Kelly shrieked. "Mummy!"

Tony put her down and she ran towards her mother, crying. As Kelly neared, Shannon got down on her knees and caught her fleeing daughter.

"Mummy," Kelly sobbed into her shoulder.

Shannon brought her hand to Kelly's head and squeezed her daughter tightly, tears running down her own face. She squeezed again and kissed Kelly's forehead.

"Oh, Kel." Shannon buried her head in her daughter's shoulder. "Thank God."

"I want to go home!" Kelly cried.

"I know, baby, I know," Shannon murmured.

Tony walked up to the mother and daughter, placing a comforting hand on Shannon's shoulder and saying, "The ambulance officers want to check Kelly over at the hospital. And I think you'll want to see Gibbs."

"Of course," Shannon sniffed and straightened up. She carefully removed Kelly from her shoulder and lifted the eight-year-old into her arms.

"I'll drive," Tony offered with a small smile and as Shannon looked to protest, Tony added, "Ziva, McGee and Fornell will finish up here."

He smiled at Fornell, who was watching the mother and child reunion with a smile on his face. "Plus, you don't have a car. I'll drive."

Fornell nodded. "Go. Jethro will want you there. We have it covered."

Shannon nodded and Kelly leaned against her shoulder. With a gentle hand, Tony led Shannon and Kelly away from the busy crime.

---

The gentle sound of the hospital monitors were the first thing that Gibbs registered as he awoke from his foggy unconsciousness. He groaned and winced in pain, though it wasn't as bad as it had been.

He finished opening his eyes, blinking as he got used to the light and looked down. His arm was in a sling, and two familiar females were huddled at the edge of his bed, asleep. Kelly was sitting on Shannon's lap and Shannon's head was resting on Gibbs' bed, near his hand.

Gibbs shifted in his bed, which startled Shannon. She lifted her head blearily and looked at Gibbs sleepily. "Jethro?"

"Hey, Shan," Gibbs rasped as he stroked her cheek. His mouth felt dry.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, jolting Kelly from her dreams.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly and then focused on her father. "Daddy!" she cried and reached out to hug her father. Gibbs winced over her shoulder as she jarred his, but said nothing and motioned to Shannon not to say anything.

"I love you, daddy," Kelly whispered, her arms around Gibbs neck. "You're my hero. You saved me."

"I love you too, Kelly-Belle," Gibbs replied hoarsely, hugging his daughter back. He then added very quietly that no one caught it, "And no, you are the one that saved me."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

It was six days before the doctors discharged Gibbs and gave him the all clear to return home. Shannon and Kelly had practically lived at the hospital since their rescue six days earlier, only returning home to sleep.

"Well, Agent Gibbs, you are free to go," the nurse announced cheerfully.

"Finally," Gibbs muttered. He was sick of the hospital and wanted to get back to his normal life.

The nurse smiled. "You wouldn't believe how often I hear that. I believe that your wife is coming to get you. And that cute daughter of yours."

"Yep," Gibbs replied and as to prove his point, Kelly flew into the room, followed by Shannon and an orderly.

"Daddy, you get to come home!" Kelly announced excitedly as she bounced onto Gibbs' bed. "In time for Christmas!"

It was Christmas Eve.

"That's only if you want me," Gibbs teased as Kelly hugged his neck.

"Of course, silly," Kelly pouted. "It's been _forever_."

"Six days is not forever, Kel," Shannon laughed, kissing her husband on the cheek.

Now that Kelly was back, there was still a little tension between the two, but things were better than ever and Gibbs and Shannon had vowed to each other that they would make spending time with Kelly their priority.

"Yes it is," Kelly nodded vigorously. "Six days is forever."

"I'm with Kel," Gibbs agreed with a grin. "Six days is forever."

Shannon shook her head and laughed. "Honesty, you two are as bad as each other."

"Two peas in a pod," Kelly and Gibbs said simultaneously and burst into laughter.

"But you're my two peas in a pod and we'd better get going," Shannon finished.

"Your carriage awaits," Kelly giggled and hopped off the bed. "C'mon, dad."

"Coming." Gibbs swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. He winced a little, but when Shannon looked concerned, he shook his head, indicating that he didn't want anything said. Shannon pursed her lips, but said nothing.

"Hurry up, dad," Kelly whined.

"I'm hurrying," Gibbs grumbled and sighed when he saw the wheelchair. "Is that really necessary?"

The nurse nodded. "Sorry, hospital rules."

Gibbs muttered something to himself and grudgingly sat in the wheelchair, but not before giving both the nurse and the orderly a classic Gibbs glare.

Shannon caught and warned, "Jethro . . ."

"Oh, it's quite alright, Mrs. Gibbs," the nurse smiled pleasantly. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Same here," the orderly offered.

Gibbs shot Shannon a look and after years of marriage, Shannon knew exactly what it meant. She turned to the orderly and read his nametag.

"Ted, would it be okay if we accompanied my husband out," Shannon smiled, flicking her red hair. "It would make life a lot easier." She rolled her eyes as though she was sharing a private joke with Ted.

"Uh, well, it's not exactly hospital policy," Ted started.

"Please." Shannon batted her eyelashes and this time Gibbs rolled his eyes.

The nurse looked at Kelly, made a joking gag reflex, causing Kelly to giggle and said, "Don't be such a downer, Ted. Let the lady have her husband."

"Please," Kelly added, giggling.

Ted sighed. "Oh, whatever. Take the chair."

Gibbs grinned. "Excellent. Let's go, then. Shannon?"

"Ooh, ooh, let me!" Kelly jumped up and down. Shannon and Gibbs grinned.

"Sorry, Kel," Shannon apologized. "But I think it's a little out of your reach."

"Aw," Kelly pouted, but didn't complain too much. She rushed to the door. "Let's go."

"Somebody's eager," Shannon noted as she grabbed the handles of the wheelchair.

"So is somebody else," Gibbs amended. "Let's get a move on."

"Alright, alright," Shannon muttered as she started to push the wheelchair, with Kelly prancing ahead.

---

As Gibbs and his family pulled into the driveway of their house and parked the car, Gibbs got a funny feeling. Shannon and Kelly had been exchanging looks the whole trip home via the rearview mirror, and Gibbs didn't need to be a trained Special Agent to figure out that something was up.

Kelly clambered out of the car as soon as it stopped moving. She rushed over to the passenger door and pulled it open with a flourish. As Gibbs swung his legs out the door, Kelly announced,

"You have to close your eyes, daddy." She hopped up and down on the spot.

"I what?"

"Close your eyes," Kelly huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "It's a surprise!"

"I hate surprise," Gibbs grumbled.

"Just humour her, Jethro," Shannon sighed as she exited the driver's seat and headed in the direction of the car trunk.

"Please, daddy." Kelly did her famous eyes and Gibbs sighed, unable to resist.

"Fine."

"Yay!" Kelly squealed and grabbed Gibbs' hand, effectively pulling him out of the car. "Close your eyes!"

Grudgingly, Gibbs closed his eyes and allowed himself to be led by Kelly. Shannon laughed and followed behind them, carrying the stuff that had accumulated over the six-day hospital stay. The front door of the Gibbs house was unlocked so Kelly pushed it open and dragged Gibbs inside.

"No peeking, daddy."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Gibbs muttered sarcastically.

"Jethro," Shannon warned as she trailed in behind her husband and daughter.

Gibbs ignored her as he was pulled through a doorway that Gibbs guessed led to the lounge room. He wasn't used to roaming his house with no sight.

"You can look now, daddy," Kelly squealed.

Gibbs opened his eyes at the same time as many voices shouted, "Surprise!"

Slightly startled, Gibbs looked up to see a large banner that read "Welcome home, daddy" with the writing underneath saying "Merry Christmas". He looked down to see Kelly beaming at him and Shannon looking amused from the doorway.

"It's a surprise party!" Kelly announced gleefully as if Gibbs couldn't work that out for himself. "And a Christmas party 'cos it's Christmas Eve!"

"It was Kelly's idea," Shannon said, stepping in behind her husband and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No kidding," Gibbs said, for lack of better words.

He looked at the small crowd gathered beneath Kelly's (and Abby's) lovingly made banner. His team, Abby, Ducky, Palmer, Fornell, Maddie and her parents, and a few of their neighbours stood under it, grinning.

"Gibbs!" Abby matched the squeal of the eight year old and launched herself at Gibbs. "You're back! Welcome home! We missed you! NCIS isn't the same without you."

"I've missed you too, Abs," Gibbs said, awkwardly returning Abby's hug with his one good side. She was wearing her customary mini-skirt, but had added a top with a skeleton Santa on it.

"Come on, everyone's dying to see you," Abby announced, taking his hand.

"They saw me yesterday," Gibbs pointed out.

"Yeah, but that was in hospital," Kelly amended. "This is home."

"Yeah, what Kelly said," Abby agreed and dragged Gibbs over to the crowd of people. Kelly followed, skipping.

"Boss!" Tony exclaimed as Abby, Gibbs and Kelly reached the group of people.

"DiNozzo."

Tony stepped forward and stuck out his hand. "Welcome home, boss."

"Glad to be back, Tony." Gibbs shook Tony's hand and looked at him warmly. "You been keeping the team in line?"

"He is worse than you, Gibbs," Ziva offered with a smile. "He is somewhat of a slave-digger."

"It's slave-_driver_, Zee-vah, and I am not," Tony huffed, looking put out. "I'm a great boss."

"Ziva's right," McGee added and grinned at Gibbs. "Good have you back, boss. It means we get rid of him." He shook Gibbs' hand.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed causing Abby to giggle.

"I think you're a good boss, Tony," she said sweetly.

"See, at least someone does."

"But no one can beat my bossman," Abby finished with a flourish, earning a glare from Tony and peck on the cheek from Gibbs.

"Gee, thanks, I feel loved," Tony muttered sarcastically.

"Aww, we love you, Tony." Abby let go of Gibbs and hugged Tony, making him, as always, wince.

"The others are correct. It is really good to have you back, Gibbs," Ziva said quietly and kissed Gibbs on the cheek. Then she grinned.

"I am not sure how much longer those two could go without killing each other." She gestured to McGee and Tony.

"Oi, Probie and I love each other very much," Tony called. He put an arm around McGee's shoulder.

McGee shrugged out of Tony's grip. "Speak for yourself."

"Hey, where's the Christmas cheer and the 'love thy family' whatnot, McGrinch," Tony retorted.

"I have plenty of Christmas cheer, Tony," McGee replied.

Tony harrumphed and wrinkled his nose. "I'll getting a drink. You want something, boss?"

"Bourbon," Gibbs answered and caught Shannon's look of a disapproval.

"Jethro . . ."

"Bourbon," Gibbs repeated, ignoring Shannon.

"Uh, yeah, right, boss," Tony replied and looked hesitantly at Shannon, who gave him a resigned look and nodded her head. "One bourbon coming right up."

"What about the rest of us, Tony?" Ziva asked.

Tony shrugged. "You have two hands, get it yourself." Ziva glared at him while Gibbs smirked.

"Are you sure alcohol is a good idea, Jethro?" Ducky asked pleasantly.

"I think I know my body best, Duck," Gibbs replied, a little harsher than he intended.

"I wasn't criticizing, Jethro," Ducky replied calmly. He paused. "It's nice to have you back."

"Thanks." The two men embraced briefly, to which Abby responded with "aww" noises.

"Daddy!" Ducky and Gibbs were interrupted by Kelly. "Look! Mommy and me did the tree!"

Kelly pulled Gibbs around so that he was looking at the tall Christmas tree. It was a real one for a change, unlike their usual fake one. It had rows of neat, coloured lights intersected by silver tinsel. While there were mismatched decorations ranging from fancy baubles to paper cut-outs made by Kelly at school, Gibbs thought the tree absolutely beautiful.

"It's beautiful, Kelly-Belle," Gibbs smiled and Kelly grinned.

"Me and mommy worked on it for hours just for you, dad." Kelly looked proud.

"Well, I love it," Gibbs replied and put his arm around his daughter.

"But it's missing one thing," Kelly said excitedly. She pointed to the top. "It has no star. We waited for you."

It was a tradition carried over from Shannon's family in which the man of the house would always add the last tree trimming, the star or angel.

"Mommy!" Kelly cried and Shannon produced the familiar golden star that sparkled under the lights.

"Put it on, daddy," Kelly encouraged with her hundred-watt smile.

Shannon carried over a small stepladder, which Gibbs used to reach the top of the tree. With a ceremonious flourish, Gibbs placed the star on the very top of the tree.

Everyone clapped.

"It's perfect, daddy," Kelly sighed happily.

If no one knew better, they wouldn't have even been able to tell that Kelly had just been through a horrendous ordeal. Shannon had booked Kelly to see a child psychologist starting after Christmas, but kids were resilient and Kelly managed to take most of it in her stride. Shannon had also booked sessions with a family counsellor so that the family could work through what had happened together. But today, and for the next few days, they were just like every other family celebrating Christmas and not one that had almost been torn apart within the space of a few days.

Life was good.

---

Gibbs had finally managed to extract himself from a conversation between his neighbours and wandered over to Shannon who was talking with Maddie's mum, Belinda, and Ziva near the doorway.

"I thought they'd never shut up," Gibbs grumbled, cutting into their conversation.

Shannon laughed and put her arm around Gibbs. "Play nice, Jethro."

"I was," Gibbs muttered, causing Shannon to laugh again.

"Surely it was not that bad, Gibbs," Ziva said with a grin.

"You'd be surprised," Gibbs replied bitterly.

They were interrupted by a voice that sounded suspiciously like Tony yelling, "Ziva! We need your expert Mossad ninja skills!"

Ziva rolled her eyes. "The last time I saw those two idiots, they were comparing superheroes," she said, referring to Tony and McGee.

She sighed. "I will go and see what they want." Resigned, Ziva walked off to where Tony had called from.

At the same time, Maddie had rushed up to Belinda and whined, "I want some food, mom. Can you help?"

Belinda shot Gibbs and Shannon an apologetic look. "Sorry. I'd better go and see what Maddie wants."

"No problem," Shannon replied easily. "I know the feeling."

Belinda laughed and was pulled away by Maddie, leaving Shannon and Gibbs by themselves.

"I'm glad you're home, Jethro," Shannon murmured. "It's not the same without you."

Gibbs nodded. "I know." He paused. "And I'm sorry."

"For what?" Shannon asked.

Gibbs shrugged. "Everything. I don't know how you put up with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Shannon replied lovingly, kissing his nose. She looked up, and then grinned at her husband.

"I think someone's playing matchmaker," Shannon whispered to Gibbs.

"What?"

"Look." She looked to the archway of the door and pointed to the sprig of mistletoe.

"Oh."

Shannon giggled. "So, Mr. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, whatcha gonna do about it?"

"This." Gibbs lent in and captured Shannon's lips in a passionate embrace.

Shannon responded and pulled Gibbs' face closer. They enjoyed the simple action of being close to one another, and almost forgot about the past twelve days of nightmare. As Gibbs put his arm around Shannon's waist and pulled her close, there was a little giggle.

"Ewww," Kelly giggled. Looking down, Gibbs and Shannon saw Kelly standing at their feet.

Shannon looked mock stern. "If I remember correctly, Miss Kelly, it was your idea about the mistletoe."

"But boys have _cooties_," Kelly announced, sticking out her tongue.

"Not this one. Not when they grow up." Shannon kissed Gibbs' lips briefly, earning another "eww" from Kelly.

Kelly shook her head. "I never want to grow up," she decided.

"Sorry, Kel, don't think you have a choice," Gibbs laughed as Kelly wrapped her little arms around his waist.

"I'm glad you're home, daddy," she said, pressing her face into his stomach.

"Me too," Gibb replied, knowing that things could have turned out a lot worse.

"Me three," Shannon added and Kelly laughed.

"Silly, mommy," she stated as Shannon put her arms around her husband and kissed him again. "I love you, mom."

"Love you too, baby," Shannon murmured, looking at her family. "Both of you." She rested her head on Gibbs' shoulder; Kelly was still wrapped around his waist.

"Always."

_Finis _


End file.
